Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne celebrates his 65th birthday with us and talks about ITEP, the state budget and Revenue Estimating Conference and his hope for LSU Basketball to return to the Parker Coliseum for some games. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon opines about auto insurance rates in Louisiana. Karen Egedy and John Engelsman on the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at LSU.

Len Apcar, professor at the Manship  School and fellow at the Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs, comments on the threat of fake news to democracy. Maxine Crump, president of Dialogue on Race, talks about the controversy enveloping the governor of Virginia and continuing issues of race in America and Louisiana.

University of Oklahoma Journalism Professor Jensen Moore on Super Bowl 53 and the commercials that ran in the Patriots 13-3 win over the Rams. Doctor Joseph Abraham of Church Point discusses the appeal of authoritarian rule and demagogues detailed in his book ‘”Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths.” Wetland Ecologist Scott Nesbit comments on soil and groundwater contamination in the St. Gabriel Oil Field.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders assesses Louisiana’s abortion law requiring hospital admitting privileges for doctors who perform abortions. The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to rule on the validity of the Louisiana law. Sportswriters Glenn Guilbeau of Gannett News and James Moran of Tiger Rag (I will note that I am the proprietor) comment on Super Bowl 53 between the Rams and Patriots. Richard Pryor Jr. remembers the extraordinary life of his famous father.

Matt Saurage, President of Community Coffee, comments on the 100th anniversary of the family business he has headed since 2012. Saurage will assess the international coffee industry which offers a plethora of competitors. Mark Ballard, Capitol Bureau Chief for the Advocate, looks at the politics of the Super Bowl and of the ITEP program that was revamped and is now under fire after removal of tax exemptions of a major corporate player in the state. Paul Maassen, the fourth President and General Manager of WRKF, takes inquiries from listeners as the station celebrates its 39th anniversary.

General Russel Honore,’ head of the Green Army, responds to the decision by the EBR School Board to remove tax exemptions from ExxonMobil.

State Representative Steve Carter on the controversy about the EBR School Board denying a $290,000 per year tax incentive for Exxon Mobil. LSU Manship School Dean Martin Johnson on the contemporary media environment with charges of fake news and media bias and more options for listeners, readers and viewers. Filmmaker Ann de Mare on “The Homestretch,” her production showing at LSU. Radio owner and host Chuck Redden on his parody song about NFL officiating as the Super Bowl looms between the Patriots and Rams.

Bob Crowley, former Executive Director of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, comments on the prospect of teacher walkout. Film Critic Richard Roeper on this year’s Oscar derby.

Celebrated author James Lee Burke talks about his rich Louisiana laden career with his Dave Robicheaux character back for another turn in “New Iberia Blues. Burt Ward, the original Robin on Batman, recalls the highly popular series and its 120 episodes from 1966-68 and his conversion at 72 from caped crusader to canine crusader. John Kaufman, marketing director for the Manship Theatre from its beginning on March 5, 2004, reflects on 15 years of performances of the arena in the Shaw Center for the Arts.

Baton Rouge Symphony Conductor Timothy Muffitt discusses his decision to retire as BRSO leader after two decades. Muffitt, the longest serving conductor and music director in the history of the BRSO,  will leave his post in 2020. Capitol Bureau Chief Mark Ballard of the Advocate on a week in which Exxon-Mobil made a startling announcement and Gov. John Bel Edwards made his long awaited official announcement. Best-selling author James Rollins on his long career and his latest work, “Crucible.” NYU School of Medicine Physician Leonardo Trasande talks about environmental risks to good health detailed in his book, “Sicker, Fatter, Poorer.”