CNBC's Worst States Are the Most Popular States — Because People Vote With Moving Trucks, Not Methodology

CNBC's Worst States Are the Most Popular States — Because People Vote With Moving Trucks, Not Methodology

You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for July 13, 2026. We open with a Tax Foundation report confirming what Louisiana families and business owners have lived for decades — Louisiana has the highest combined state and local sales tax burden in America at 10.13%. We explain why the trade-off made by the legislature two years ago — broadening the sales tax base in exchange for cutting the income tax — was the right move philosophically, because an income tax is a tax on liberty while a sales tax is a tax on consumption. But we also make clear that complacency is not an option. Tennessee has zero income tax and the second highest sales tax in the nation — and Tennessee is doing gangbusters. Louisiana's competition isn't theoretical. It's right next door, and Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas are all racing their income taxes toward zero. Louisiana cannot fall behind in that race. In our Top 3, Meta has announced it is expanding its AI data center in Richland Parish from two gigawatts to five gigawatts — before the facility is even fully built — raising Meta's total investment in northeast Louisiana to $50 billion and creating more jobs than originally forecast. Then human error shut down all three water pumps at New Orleans Pump Station 7 during the heaviest rainfall of the weekend, causing water levels to rise six feet in 20 minutes and triggering widespread flooding in Lakeview, Mid-City, and around City Park — which is exactly why Governor Landry is skeptical of sending the city more money. And the race for Louisiana's 5th Congressional District is taking shape, with multiple candidates from both parties beginning to qualify — though the status of Trump-endorsed candidate Blake Miguez remains unclear. We revisit the life and legacy of Senator Lindsey Graham — and play the audio that may represent the highest point of his Senate career. During the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, Graham stood up among colleagues he called his friends and delivered a speech that stopped the chamber cold — calling the process the most unethical sham he had witnessed in his political career, apologizing directly to Kavanaugh for what his family was being put through, and saying plainly to the Democratic majority: you're looking for a fair process — you came to the wrong town at the wrong time. We also note that Cory Booker's tribute this week — crediting Graham as the colleague who made his criminal justice reform bill possible — says everything about the kind of senator he was. Graham could fight hard and still work across the aisle, and that combination made his Kavanaugh speech land harder than it ever would have coming from someone further to the right. We also discuss Governor McMaster's appointment of Graham's sister Darlene Graham Nardone to fill his seat, the long American tradition of widow's succession opening doors for women in public office, and the photo of Mitch McConnell in his hospital room — which looks staged, which proves nothing, and which still hasn't produced a single quotable word from the senator himself. We cover the New Orleans Decatur Street construction project — where Governor Landry is demanding a full audit after a project to replace 1906-era water mains has stretched on for years, closing French Quarter businesses and driving some permanently out of existence. The city's response to the audit request was to announce $200,000 in business relief grants — roughly $2,500 to $5,000 per affected business, which may cover a utility bill but won't bring back a restaurant that ran out of customers two years ago. In our Digging Deep segment, we go deep on CNBC's ranking of the worst states in America to live in — all ten of which are red states, and all ten of which gained population from other states in 2024. Texas, the second worst state according to CNBC, had the largest net inflow of any state in the country. Tennessee, the worst state in America according to CNBC, added 36,000 new residents. We then examine the methodology — which rewards states for high minimum wages, mandatory union participation, gender ideology in law, abortion access without restriction, and no voter ID requirements. We conclude that CNBC has not produced a quality of life ranking. It has produced a Democratic National Committee platform checklist. The American people are voting with their feet. CNBC is voting with its politics. We also cover a man in Caddo Parish arrested for his seventh DWI — with five of those arrests made by Shreveport Police — and ask the only logical question: why is this man still on the road? The police have done their job five times. The fault here rests squarely with a DA's office that has failed to protect the people of Caddo Parish. We also weigh in on European leaders lecturing President Trump about immigration enforcement while their own streets tell a completely different story. In Germany, foreign nationals make up 15% of the population but 53% of gang rape suspects. In Ireland, 85% of women murdered last year were killed by foreign nationals. Every crime committed by an illegal alien in this country is a failure of government to do its most basic job — securing the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for its own citizens. And we close with Mick Jagger offering what may be the most useful piece of career advice in the music industry right now — that a singer's job is to sing and a performer's job is to entertain, not to lecture a paying audience about politics. Bruce Springsteen, apparently, was not in the room. May your pursuit of happiness bring you joy. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!

Jeff Landry Takes on New Orleans Over $110 Million Budget Fight

You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for July 9, 2026. We open with the growing showdown between Governor Jeff Landry and New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno as the fight over the city's finances reaches a boiling point. We break down why the governor says New Orleans is treating Louisiana taxpayers like an ATM, what the city's budget crisis means going forward, and the latest developments in Attorney General Liz Murrill's legal battle with Orleans Parish officials. We also discuss the largest jailbreak in Louisiana history and the criminal case against former Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, plus a major federal research grant awarded to ULM and a new Louisiana education initiative that ties tutoring companies' pay directly to student success. Also in today's show: a Baton Rouge pastor sues after being fired over preferred pronouns, a massive Medicaid fraud scheme uncovered in New York, President Trump's efforts to restore safety in Washington, D.C., the naming of a new airport in his honor, and why the president says he's already given instructions for how America should respond if Iran ever succeeds in carrying out its assassination threats. All that and more on this episode of American Ground Radio. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!

Louisiana's 5th District Race Just Got More Complicated

You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for July 9, 2026. We open with the rapidly evolving race for Louisiana's 5th Congressional District as State Senator Stuart Cathey officially enters the contest following the state's court-ordered redistricting. We break down how the new map has reshaped the race, who's in, who's still a question mark, and what it means for voters across North Louisiana. We also cover the latest developments in the legal battle surrounding Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill as the state Supreme Court appoints a new judge to oversee the politically charged case against her. Plus, New Orleans backs away from requesting another state bailout, and we discuss what the city's financial troubles could mean going forward. Then we're joined by Mark Rohde of Cumberland Ministries to talk about the life-changing impact fathers have on families, the ministry's work transforming one of the toughest neighborhoods in the Ark-La-Tex, and how a simple seasoning brand is helping spread hope throughout the community. Also in today's show: another political corruption case out of Illinois, the Democratic Party's scramble to replace its Senate candidate in Maine, why China suddenly wants Iran to honor its ceasefire agreement, a look at the world's biggest oil importers, and a troubling free speech confrontation between Christian street preachers and police officers in Fort Worth. All that and more on this episode of American Ground Radio. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!

John Kennedy on Iran, the SAVE Act, and the Fight for Election Integrity

You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for July 8, 2026. We open with the stunning legal battle surrounding Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, where every criminal court judge in Orleans Parish has recused themselves from hearing the politically charged case against her. We break down why it happened, what's really behind the indictment, and what it means for the rule of law in Louisiana. Then Senator John Kennedy joins us to discuss the escalating conflict with Iran, President Trump's response, the future of sanctions, and whether the Senate can finally get the SAVE Act across the finish line. Also in today's show: a Louisiana state senator passes away unexpectedly, a criminal investigation into financial misconduct at UL Lafayette, an Australian citizen is charged with voting illegally in Louisiana elections, and we examine why election integrity remains a national issue. Plus, we discuss RFK Jr.'s push to improve hospital food, New York City's half-million-dollar plumber, whether Democrats are abandoning their own voters in Maine, President Trump's call for NATO allies to strengthen their militaries, and Bishop Robert Barron's warning about the growing influence of socialism and what it could mean for America's cultural future. All that and more on this episode of American Ground Radio. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!

Trust, Transparency, and Tribal Politics

You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for July 7, 2026. We open with a question that's becoming harder to ignore: have we become so politically tribal that we've stopped judging people by their actions? We examine the bizarre case of a volunteer with the effort to recall Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry who is accused of carjacking a vehicle and shooting a truck driver—and why the case also raises serious questions about Louisiana's justice system after Attorney General Liz Murrill was given a bond four times higher over an unrelated legal dispute. In our Top 3, we cover Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux qualifying for reelection by petition, Governor Jeff Landry's trip to Washington to promote President Trump's new Trump Accounts—including a plan to provide them to children in Louisiana's foster care system—and Baton Rouge becoming the first city in Louisiana to receive Amazon drone deliveries. We also dig into an investigation that found several New Orleans restaurants serving imported shrimp while claiming it was local Gulf shrimp, and explain why protecting Louisiana's reputation is about far more than seafood—it's about preserving one of the state's most valuable brands. In our Digging Deep segment, we break down encouraging new census and workforce data showing Louisiana's population is growing again after years of decline, with young adults leading the turnaround. We discuss what that says about jobs, opportunity, and whether the state's economic direction is finally changing. We also revisit the growing controversy surrounding Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Plattner, why Democrats are now scrambling to replace him, and what the episode reveals about the ideological direction of today's Democratic Party. Finally, we tackle the conflicting reports surrounding Senator Mitch McConnell's health. With Senate leadership insisting he's actively engaged while other reports paint a far different picture, we ask a simple question: how much transparency do elected officials owe the people they represent? May your pursuit of happiness bring you joy. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!