EBR District Attorney Hillar Moore on the causes of an alarming spike in murders in Baton Rouge in 2017. The parish reported a record number of homicides last year.

George and Roxanne Graham on Cajun cooking. George is the author of Acadiana Table, George Graham’s Stories of Cajun Creole Cooking.

Mark Ballard, Capitol Bureau Chief for the Advocate, joins us to reflect on the top stories of 2017.

Rudy Macklin, LSU’s career leading rebounder and second leading scorer, talks about the resurgent Tiger program under first year coach Will Wade and discusses physical fitness in Louisiana. Macklin has headed the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for 26 years.

Rannah Gray on Redstick Revelry, the annual New Year’s Eve celebration in downtown Baton Rouge.

Maxine Crump, President and CEO of Dialogue on Race, on the major story of 2017, sexual misconduct. Crump says sexual harassment is often accompanied by racism.
 

Former LSU and New England Patriots quarterback Rohan Davey comments on the LSU loss to Notre Dame in the Citrus Bowl and the national title game between Alabama and Georgia.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana Economist Mike Bertaut recaps the impact of the tax bill passed by Congress on the Affordable Care Act...What is the future of Obamacare in 2018?

Film and music critic John Wirt details the best performances of 2017.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders discusses her work 25 years after she was hired by President Clinton. Elders lasted on the job as surgeon general for only 15 months after talking openly about masturbation. She will talk about Baton Rouge and New Orleans ranking first and third in HIV cases in the United States.

  First we visit with David Faucheux of Lafayette, author of Across Two Novembers: A Year in the Life of a Blind Bibliophile. 
 
Also Jeff Rossen, a fixture on The Today Show, on how we can improve our lives in ways we might not have thought of.
 
Charles Duhigg calls in to talk about his book, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.
 
Post writer Sally Quinn, widow of Ben Bradlee, on her spiritual odyssey.

Sixth District Congressional candidate Justin Dewitt talks about his race for 2018. Dewitt, a Democrat,  is challenging two-term Republican Garret Graves and is believed to be the first openly gay man to see a U.S. House in Louisiana.

Pam Bordelon of the Advocate reflects on a year of parties she covered for the state’s largest newspaper in 2017.

Hydrologist and professional engineer Bob Jacobsen on Louisiana’s challenges with climate change and the continuing battle to stop coastal erosion.

Advocate Capitol Bureau Chief Mark Ballard on a new poll showing Gov. John Bel Edwards with a 65-percent approval rating. What does this mean for his re-election chances, and Louisiana’s congressional delegation voted for the Trump tax plan with the exception of Democrat Cedric Richmond of New Orleans.

State Representative Chris Broadwater, Republican from Hammond, discusses his decision to resign from the Louisiana House midway through his second term in office.

Congressman Garret Graves, Republican from Baton Rouge, assesses the impact of the sweeping tax bill passed by Congress this week.

Actor Louis Herthum, Baton Rouge native, on his continuing success with Westworld. Herthum has been a fixture in Hollywood since winning a role on Murder She Wrote more than a quarter century ago.

Also, writer Carol J. Adams responds to her New York Times editorial about the success of gun buy-back programs.