Support for Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us.

Because together we power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation and the Ziegler Art Museum, located in Jennings City Hall.

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana.

And the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and viewers like you.

Thank you.

President Trump hopes to slash funding for public media.

We'll break down what that means for people across Louisiana.

Plus, where are we at dealing with Louisiana's auto insurance crisis?

I'll check in with Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, and we'll take you to Natchitoches for our final young hero, Gabby Essex.

And we will take you inside the new Children's Museum of Southwest Louisiana.

Let's get started.

Let's do it.

Hello, everyone.

I'm Karen LeBlanc, and I'm Dorothea Wilson.

Much more on those top stories in a moment.

On this week's edition of Louisiana, the State we're In.

But first, funding for public media is at risk.

After President Trump issued an executive order seeking to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

If it goes through, the funding cuts would have dire impacts on us here at LPB.

And for people across Louisiana who depend on our educational resources.

PBS kids tagline is the world of possibilities are endless, and so are you.

And now the possibilities are being taken away from.

President Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at reducing public subsidies for PBS and NPR.

The order directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies to stop federal funding for NPR and PBS.

Public broadcasting is already feeling the impact of this decision.

The U.S. Department of Education terminated its Ready to Learn grant for 2020 2025, effective immediately.

Nancy Terrane, education director at Louisiana Public Broadcasting, says this loss will greatly impact Louisiana's young learners.

I think what's most detrimental is going forward, we will not have the dollars to create the resources that families and children need in Louisiana.

That's how it's going to affect the millions of kids that use PBS kids.

So news shows how are they going to be developed?

Are they going to be educational?

The whole reason 90% of the parents trust LPB and PBS kids is because it's built around an educational framework.

This is a safe and trusted space, and they're taking it away.

That is how the children are going to feel in Louisiana.

They're not going to have the resources to help get them ready to learn.

LPB educational programs for early learners have achieved over 7 million streams this year, helping countless families across the state access early education programs and curriculum that they would not have had otherwise.

Given that Louisiana is already below the national average in education, the state's educational system will undoubtedly feel the impact of this loss.

And education isn't the only area impacted by cuts to CPB funding.

CC Copeland, the president and CEO of Louisiana Public Broadcast, citing, states that reductions in CPB funding could prevent local networks from paying their PBS dues, which are essential for supporting public broadcasting.

Well, if we're not in a position to pay our PBS dues, we will lose the subscription to air the quality programing that we've had.

You know, the front line, finding your roots.

All those programs will go away because PBS itself does not produce any programs.

They pay independent producers and stations to produce for them.

So without those funds, PBS would collapse.

It's a domino effect.

CPB pays us.

We in turn pay PBS.

PBS in turn pays all the independent producers and the stations that produce, and it is LP B's PBS affiliation that enables them to share emergency information statewide.

Well, one of the press components of PBS is public safety.

We're not like the commercial stations.

We don't cut in every few minutes.

But our overarching is public safety.

That's one of the pillars public safety, education and community service.

Well, for us, LPB is the pool feed for the state of Louisiana.

We're directly connected to gossip here, and we're directly connected to the state capital for fiber.

So when the governor needs to do an emergency announcement, he comes and he goes to go sit with directly connected to go sit.

We put the governor on state where we're statewide networks so we can reach the governor.

Want to many, instead of him trying to go to each little station, you come to us, help provide the service, and we also provide debt free for any other station to pick up.

So that's part of our public safety.

PBS affiliates across the country are facing similar concerns due to potential cuts.

For instance, Robyn Cooper, president and CEO of WHYY's, the PBS affiliate in New Orleans, states that federal funding amounts to $800,000, which cannot be replaced without funding.

Community programing will suffer.

That will impact how we go about servicing our community, which produces a wide range of programs that highlight New Orleans and Louisiana culture, history, traditions.

And we're in a unique position to be able to tell our stories more so than what other media can or may not be able to do.

And any cuts or elimination of funding would greatly impact our ability to tell these stories.

And there's so many stories we've been able to tell, and there's so many yet waiting to be told.

In the meantime, she is encouraged by the support of the viewers and says they are the reason PBS and public media exists.

To learn more about the potential cuts and show your support for public media.

Head to protect my Public media.org from hashtags to headlines, hair is what's trending this week.

Okay, for the first time in history, there's an American pope.

There sure is.

How exciting for us Americans.

And the Catholic bishops took about a day just like Cardinal Robert Prevost to the role.

Now he'll be known as Pope Leo the 14th.

Primo's was born and raised in Chicago and served several years as a bishop in Peru.

And according to social media, he has some Louisiana ties.

Right?

Yeah, I saw that.

You know, I think it takes a person to be either from here or have some roots to be great.

I don't know, Karen.

Now, he's viewed as a centrist with similar views to the late Pope Francis on social issues and immigration.

John Foster is still in the running on American Idol.

He made it to the top seven earlier this week and I saw that performance.

He's really got stage presence.

He has a great presence and I'm so excited for him.

And this Sunday he'll find out if he makes it to the top five.

Fingers crossed.

Now, Foster's Louisiana roots have been on full display as he performed original songs and covers all of the country classics.

All right, this is one of my favorite times of the year, the Met Gala.

Now, artist and entertainers from across the world took the stage at the annual Met Gala earlier this week, and there were several nods to Louisiana.

That is right.

And starting with pop star Lana Del Rey, she gave a nod to the Bayou State with her alligator shaped hairpins created by New Orleans accessory company Relic Room.

I love that, a nod to her husband, of course, that she met on a swamp tour right here in Louisiana.

They got married last year.

They did.

That was so sweet.

And several other celebrities with Louisiana ties walked the red carpet at the gala, including former LSU stars Angel Reese and Joe Burrow, former track star and Olympian Sha'carri Richardson, along with superstar John Bettis.

Love him.

I love that.

I just love the career native dresses.

Wow.

Oh my goodness.

Oh amazing.

All right, well on to some more serious news.

A handful of bills aimed at reducing Louisiana's auto insurance rates are moving ahead in the legislature.

In my series, Driving into Debt, I've looked at causes and potential solutions to the crisis.

I sat down with Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple for a progress report.

We are nearly a month into the 2025 legislative session, and insurance reform is a very big topic on the agenda.

Joining us here in studio is Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple to give us a progress report on insurance reform currently.

So thank you for coming.

And, first of all, we'll start with what the headlines are saying right now.

It's all over the news that, Governor Jeff Landry is pushing legislation that will give you more power to reject insurance rates, regardless of what the data says.

Where do you stand on this?

Yeah, I appreciate the opportunity to be here, and talk about, you know, progress and insurance reform.

But, you know, with regard to that first question, you know, I think it's extremely clear, I've been very clear that I already have the authority to deny excessive rates when they aren't actuarially justify.

And I've used that exercise almost, I think, 21 times since I've been commissioner, told insurance companies that no, their rates were excessive and that they had to either go back, redo their math, or withdraw the filing.

So this argument that I don't have this power, it's exactly what the governor said in his own words on various radio programs.

This is a blame, Tim Temple bill.

This is to as he said, that way if the rates don't go down, we can blame him.

There's no other way around it.

It's been stated.

And so this has really become a proxy of the fight between the insurance companies and the in the trial attorneys point of attorneys.

It's nothing more than that.

We need to focus on reform, making Louisiana a competitive place to do business, lowering excessive, and unfair claims, which lowers lost costs, which will lower premiums.

Are you concerned that the debate and focus on giving you more power is hindering passing meaningful insurance reform legislation?

I think it does, because if people if legislators buy into that argument, then they don't have to pass any reform.

They can simply say, we've given the commissioner power to lower your rates if you don't like them, and it's his fault.

Since I became commissioner, I was saying that I thought, we need to have a special session on insurance because it is complex.

There's a lot of special interest.

Is is we're finding out, all, all around this topic of insurance as far as who's offering it and who's receiving proceeds from that.

We need to have a special session to truly give the legislators the ability to to have the conversations, have the hearings, have the floor discussions, and bring about meaningful solutions.

But with regards to auto, we have got to have a serious conversation on why we're paying the highest rates in the country.

What would you like to see?

Well, you know, I mean, best case scenario is that we have a, a a good robust dialog on the pros and cons of these bills and then and vote on them on the merits of the bill, and not get sidetracked with, the fight between the governor and I on one bill.

We, we agree on a lot of things that we don't have a frequency problem with.

You know, with a number of auto accidents, we don't have a, we don't have a problem with the cost of repair vehicles.

We do have a litigation problem.

We do have a bodily injury frequency problem.

The governor and I agree on all four of those points and many other points.

But what role does the insurance company have to play?

Are there things they can do to help reduce rates?

Perhaps it's, negating credit report criteria and rate setting.

I just want to hear your thoughts on the role they have to play.

Yeah.

Most states allow.

I think there are less than five.

Do not allow credit score as part of rate making.

I know we have a poor state.

But I think one of the things that we need to do is allow the consumer to know how the credit score is being used, either for them or against them, and if it's against them, let them have the opportunity to review the data and make corrections if it's incorrect.

But if it's if it's correct.

I think we need to take that into consideration as well.

But but the data I've seen, if you have good credit right now in our state and we disallow that, I would think that you can expect your insurance to go up.

I've got a bill that I'm supporting this year that would actually lower the premium tax on our auto insurance from 3% to 2%.

And Louisiana, we're one of that.

I think we're the second highest in the country on premium tax.

We tax insurance policies, you and I, more in Louisiana than almost everywhere else in America.

Let's reduce that.

Or if we don't want to reduce it, let's make sure those premium dollars that I mean, those tax dollars collected go to help mitigate future claims.

So, you know, again, transparency both on where the money goes when an insurance company takes it in and then where the money goes when they pay a claim out.

All right.

Well, thank you so much, state insurance commissioner Tim Temple for stopping by.

We will, of course, invite you back in at the end of the legislative session to discuss what actually came out of it, and will make its way into law.

So thank you for all that you do and for joining us to keep the public informed.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here today.

We reached out to Governor Geoff Landry's office for a response to Commissioner Tim Temple's comments.

But as of the time of our taping, we have not heard back.

A new chapter of discovery is now open in Lake Charles.

The Children's Museum of Southwest Louisiana includes 15,000ft² of interactive learning and play.

The vibrant space not only celebrates learning, but also marks a significant milestone in the area's recovery and growth.

Take a look.

Hi, Karen.

Welcome to the Children's Museum.

Are you ready for your tour?

I am, all set.

Let's go ahead.

So as you come into the children's museum, we really wanted to explore the world around us.

We wanted to teach children about how our bodies interact every day with the things in our environment.

And we really wanted to highlight what made Southwest Louisiana special.

And unique for those visiting from other parts of the country.

The Children's Museum of Southwest Louisiana is a maze of hands on exhibits that spark imaginations and stimulate the senses.

Visitors can climb, touch, create, and experiment.

We begin our tour interacting with Mother Nature and with our nature area.

We have a giant lighthouse climber so children can be the ant going through the lighthouse.

And then we have our sportsman's Paradise, where children can learn all about our ecosystems out in the marsh and the bayous and the rivers that are known in southwest Louisiana.

Here, science manifests in real life activities that appeal to all ages, which is precisely the point of the museum.

And radio for help.

Oh, and ring the horn.

Or a little radio.

The museum also created a simulated city, complete with daily life activities.

You can shop for groceries.

Take your pet to the vet.

Deliver the weather report from the mock news station, or cook up a meal at Cowboy Cafe.

Everybody loves a good city experience.

And so as children are playing in our city state, they are able to do things that you know they can aspire to be whenever they grow up.

They can learn about our local history.

The museum pulls back the curtain on everyday wonders, revealing the mechanics behind machines and gadgets and natural forces at work with a focus on southwest Louisiana's industries.

Physics fascinates with real life expressions, including Bernoulli's principle, which explains how airplanes fly.

It is showing you how the air pressure levitates the ball.

Every station invites discovery and fuels curiosity.

Take a bike ride with Mr. Bones to see your skeleton at work, and check out the larger than life anatomy in the Human Body Gallery.

The museum's new home at the Port Wonder Complex along the lakefront in downtown Lake Charles, is part of its comeback story.

In 2020.

Hurricane Laura destroyed the museum building on Broad Street and all of its exhibits.

Whenever Hurricane Laura hit our building, we lost the roof during the storm, and we lost about 90% of our exhibits.

We started working on the Port Wonder Project in 2018, officially with the City and Wildlife and Fisheries.

And that is when ever wonder was first.

That was really fortuitous timing because what, two years later, Hurricane Laura hit and then necessitated a new location?

Yes, the exhibits come with lesson plans available on the museum website, so learning can continue long after a visit.

And of course, at any age you can learn something new.

And so we are going to be having programs for both children, but also middle schoolers, high schoolers, adults.

We are going to be doing different classes for parent.

And then also we're going to tap into our our students, senior citizens in our community.

We're going to be doing things such as fitness classes, art classes, as it's located next to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Nature and Science Center together.

Both museums aim to build community with classes and events for all ages.

I kind of pinch myself every day whenever I come in and go, wow, I mean, this is really happening for our community.

Our community deserves a project of this magnitude.

Our kids deserve this museum, and we just can't wait to share with the world.

And for our final young hero this year, we're shining the spotlight on Gabby A6 from Natchitoches.

Her energy, passion and motivation to help others help her stand out among her peers.

Here's her story.

Do everything in love.

First Corinthians 1614.

Meet Gabrielle Gabby Essex, our final 2025 Louisiana young hero.

Gabby is often described as someone who leads with her heart, which has allowed her to excel far beyond what she could have ever imagined.

However, in her mind, it was just the right thing to do.

I've came from such a loving, like a loving family, like I was raised and full of love.

So I want to demonstrate that to my friends, my family, strangers, anybody that I can to show them like I'm the vessel of love to you from anyone.

This quality is what inspired her former teacher, Paula Callander, to nominate her as a young hero this year.

I taught Gabby, when she was younger and taught her in biology and just knowing her, from our first meeting, you just instinctively know that this is a person who is going to do great things.

She's always had a dynamic personality.

She's always had a very can do attitude.

And not only that, but she has a compassion about her.

That's just very unique.

Mrs. calendar says that out of all of the amazing students that have crossed her path, Gabby was a complete standout, one of a kind.

We have 1100 kids, you know, so to have a student who just stands out in your mind that much and my fraction of time is very small within probably about 15 weeks.

So I see them, I teach them.

But she was just a kid.

She just walks in the room and you're like, this one's different.

And Gabby's principal, Micah Coleman, couldn't agree more.

He says that Gabby is a great influence on her peers, and was not surprised when he learned of her nomination.

Nothing surprises me that happens positive for Gabby.

She has that type of infectious personality.

She's just a go getter.

She's one of those people that just seems to make things happen.

When you're interested in serving other people and trying to better those around you, good things seem to happen for you as well.

Gabby just seems to be in those places, at all the right times, and she creates that for herself.

She doesn't do it selfishly, but naturally those things occur whenever she's around.

And Principal Coleman was right.

Gabby selflessly dedicates her time to several activities around the school and within her community, which keeps her calendar full.

On Wednesdays, I teach a pre-K class for my Catholic church, which is crazy.

Okay.

I'm the first internship at our local hospital now, see?

But I also volunteer at the hospital in the summer as well.

So there's just a few things that I do.

Yeah.

Now, that was not a lot because that was.

Yeah, the list goes on.

Yeah.

She's being humble over here.

The Louisiana state officer of Hosa, the vice president of region one.

So sounds like what is Hosa Hosa is due to health professionals.

It basically is the organization led by students, and it navigates them in the right way for the path to health care.

It gives them workshops.

It gives them the resources they need to get in contact with other health professionals and really connects being what they need to know about being in health care.

And speaking of health care, Gabby aspires to work in the industry and is enrolled at Northwestern State University to attend in the fall and major in nursing.

That's one of the main things in health care.

I like year with people at their most vulnerable, lowest moment, so you have to be that kind of light in their room to help them get up at dawn.

Feel way better, but it doesn't stop there.

Gabby has recently started a nonprofit organization designed to help the people in her local community that needed most.

My nonprofit that I'm starting during the summer is going to be centered around community based health.

I mean, we're going to give back to the community whether it's backpack drives, whether it's giving pizza parties to schools, building to middle school, etc.

so it's basically just getting kids like me that are in high school or junior high involved in their community.

So we take care of each other, and this young hero is determined to make the world a better place for everyone she meets and is truly admirable.

In fact, her former teacher, who is now the school's assistant principal, tries to make her a permanent part of the family.

Early on, when I first met her, you know, in in junior high.

Yeah, at junior high, they were in the same class.

I said, hey, man, you know Gabby, she's going to go places.

Yeah.

Like, well, as out on the data, you know, take her out.

I take her to the movies, whatever you need.

And and, he's.

And now they're just different, friend.

So then I went to Gabby.

Yeah.

So, Gabby, don't you, you know, lockers.

You know, he's like Mr. bring widgets with friends.

No.

And they were close friends at the time, so.

But it never happened.

But, you know, whoever she decides to be with in her, he's going to have to be some special because she's she's it and I and she's it.

I am Gabrielle Essex and I am a young hero.

And Gabby was such an amazing young girl.

It was such an honor meeting her.

And I just really look forward to seeing what she does in the future.

You did an amazing job telling the stories of these young heroes, so inspiring and just really give me hope for the future.

I really kind of made me feel like I was into it, and I feel like I can see that.

Yeah, they are quite impressive.

They are.

Well, all of our 2025 young heroes met right here at LPB last week for Young Heroes Day.

That's right.

And I missed it.

But they started the day here at our station with breakfast and introductions.

Then they got to meet Ziggy and the crew from Ziggy's Arts Adventures and got to hang out with you, Karen in the studio.

Right.

So there they are with Ziggy.

Oh my gosh, I love the behind the scenes.

And here they are with me in studio.

And we actually some of them practice delivering the news from the anchor desk.

Right.

And then went on to LSU.

That's right.

And they got to meet Mike the Tiger, meet people from football operations.

And then they headed to the field.

Oh so good.

What a great time they had.

You look at all that they did.

I mean it was followed up with a lunch at the River center library where they got a bundle of surprise gifts, and then they visited with lawmakers at the Legisla to buy the House and the Senate.

And then they went up to the top of the state Capitol and enjoyed the view from the observation deck.

Congratulations to all of our inspiring young heroes.

And PBS Louisiana Young Heroes program is presented with the generous support of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, the Gail and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation, and Fishman.

Haygood, along with title sponsors Community Coffee and with additional support from the US Army Baton Rouge Recruiting Battalion, Demko and McDonnell.

That's our show for this week.

Remember, you can watch anything LPB anytime, wherever you are with our LPB app.

That's right.

And you can catch LPB news and public affairs shows, as well as other Louisiana programs you've come to enjoy over the years.

And please like us on Facebook and Instagram for everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting, I'm Karen LeBlanc and I'm Dorothea Wilson.

Until next time.

That's the state where it.

Support for Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us.

Because together, we power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation and the Ziegler Art Museum.

Located in Jennings City Hall, the museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana.

And by Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, visit Baton Rouge and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting, and viewers like you.

Thank you.