Zach Williams tells the back story of his book about former LSU football coach Bo Rein. Williams’ book is “Forty Minutes to Baton Rouge.” It details the rapid rise to stardom for Rein, who was named LSU coach at age 34 and died in a plane crash 42 days later. Rein’s legacy is immense almost four decades after his death. Advocate Bureau Chief Mark Ballard on the governor’s election in five weeks and President Trump’s influence on Louisiana politics.

Pollster Bernie Pinsonat and Political Consultant Mary Patricia Wray look at the Louisiana gubernatorial primary slated five weeks from Saturday. Former MVP and two-time Cy Young winner Denny McLain reviews the world of pitching in the Major League with hurlers no longer completing games and two former Tigers dominating the mound for other teams, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell looks back on more than 40 years of office holding, starting with his election to the Louisiana Senate in 1975. Campbell also previews a debate coming this month before the PSC on solar energy. Darlene Adams Rowland comments on the enduring popularity of the Farmer’s Market in Baton Rouge.

Lamar White, publisher of The Bayou Brief, previews Louisiana’s gubernatorial primary just 40 days away.
Former LSU standout and onetime head football coach of McNeese State John McCann assesses Saturday’s showdown at Austin between LSU and Texas.

Dan Borne, former president of the Louisiana Chemical Association, starts his 34th year as the Voice of the Valley. Borne looks at his tenure as the voice on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium as LSU opens its season Saturday against Georgia Southern. Former LSU student body president Ted Schirmer reflects on campus life in the 1970s and how some things remain the same while others have vastly changed at the Ole War Skule. Schirmer was the first non-Greek SGA president at LSU. A Vietnam veteran, he had a controversial tenure leading the students of his time.

WAFB anchorman Greg Meriwether looks back on 18 years in Baton Rouge, the 14th anniversary of Katrina and the state of broadcast news. Advocate Capitol Bureau Chief Mark Ballard on a new poll in the governor’s election, controversy over Medicaid providers and the state changing its education formula.

Louisiana Blue Cross Blue Shield Economist Mike Bertaut surveys the future of the Affordable Care Act and reflects on court action against Johnson and Johnson and controversy over the state’s choices for providing Medicaid. National Economist Chris Macke predicts whether the nation is falling into a recession. Author Carla Rachel Sameth talks about her book “One Day on the Gold Line,” her story that features candor on the issues of race, class, drugs and sexuality.

LSU Professor and Researcher Brooks Elwood on the significance of LSU’s Indian Mounds, which are the oldest structures in the Western Hemisphere at an estimated 9,000 years. Former Louisiana Lawmakers Troy Hebert and Melissa Flournoy remember their mutual friend Kathleen Blanco and differ on the performance of President Trump. Dr. Benjamin Runkle, who was awarded a Bronze Star in Operation Iraqi Freedom, assesses the impact of America’s WWII leaders. His book is “Generals in the Making, How Marshall, Eisenhower and Their Peers Became the Commanders Who Won World War II.”

Hall of Fame political consultant Ray Strother, the Louisiana legend who worked for Bill Clinton, Albert Gore and Gary Hart, assesses the political commercials in the Louisiana governor’s election and the legacy of former Alabama Governor George Wallace, whose 100th birthday was yesterday. Strother also opines about the reelection quest of President Trump.

Advocate Reporter Andrea Gallo reflects on her series about abuse in the LSU Greek System and former LSU Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope provides the view on fraternities from the campus. Author E.R. Ramzipoor previews her book “The Ventriloquists,” which provides new context to fake news based on what happened in Nazi Germany.