Thursday, July 28th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  FINAL FAREWELL DRAWS OFFICERS TO LOUISIANA FROM ALL OVER AMERICA! The turnout for a special funeral was a sight to see. Hundreds of motorcycles and police vehicles from all over the nation were lined up to honor a fallen hero in Baton Rouge. Police officer Montrell Jackson was...Read More

Americans do a great job of honoring those who serve us so well. There was no better example of this commitment to fallen heroes then the commemoration that took place in our Baton Rouge community this week. Thousands of people turned out for the farewell and Memorial of police officer Montrell Jackson, who was killed...Read More

And there’s so much to talk about as weekend radio is close at hand. Who did better, the Republican convention or the Democratic convention? Whatever candidate you are for, who gave the better speech; Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton? We will have a panel to analyze. Then we will talk about the emerging human rights...Read More

Last week during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, the American Federation for Children hosted a dinner for about 250 attendees to focus on the transformative impact of school choice. The event featured Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and education reform advocate Campbell Brown, a former CNN anchor and co-founder and editor-in-chief at The 74 Million. (Also, my oldest...Read More

You can watch TV coverage of violence in America, but it really does not hit home like it does right in your own back yard. Last Sunday morning was surreal. Rumors spread all over the Baton Rouge community that killers were on the loose and killing police officers. Residents were told to stay inside and...Read More

July 21st, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  THESE ARE TRYING TIMES IN BATON ROUGE!  Early Sunday mornings are a quiet time for me. I’m generally at a local coffee house in Baton Rouge looking over the morning papers for ideas to discuss on my mid-morning syndicated radio program. Several police officers dropped in for a coffee...Read More

Our weekend radio program will broadcast live from Jackson Square in the heart of the New Orleans French Quarter this weekend with a lively show planned. I’ll review the shootings and racial tension that has taken place in my hometown of Baton Rouge. Then author Seth Siegel will join us to discuss the nation’s water...Read More

Corporal Montrell Jackson, with the Baton Rouge police department, was one of the victims killed while on duty Sunday. He worked extra duty at night in my subdivision,and would drop by for water or a soft drink during a break. He always had a big smile and said he was working extra duty to help...Read More

It’s Convention time for both national political parties as Republicans kickoff this week in Cleveland, followed by the Democrats making an onslaught in Philadelphia the following week. If you’ve never been to a national political convention, it’s really quite the spectacle. And there will be heightened tensions this year because of all the controversies in...Read More

Thursday, July 14th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana FORTY-EIGHT YEARS OF POLITICAL CONVENTIONS  Some 4000 Republican delegates and party officials are converging in Cleveland this week, with Democrats heading for Philadelphia the following week. The old process of picking national candidates in the proverbial smoke filled room has gone by the wayside in favor of party...Read More

Weekend radio is close at hand and we have a full program of topics for our listeners. I’ll give updates and opinions on the racial tensions across the country. Police training expert Dr. Alex del Carmen will be our gest to discuss the need to rethink training tactics. We will talk about the coming political...Read More

I In all the confrontation and turmoil that has taken place in the past several weeks across the nation, one photograph has emerged from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a symbol of the civil unrest that has spread across the nation. The image, taken by Jonathan Bachman for Reuters, shows a woman, who has been identified...Read More

How should you advise your kids and family members if they get into a confrontation with police officers? Tempers can flare, shouting and threats are made, and the whole episode can quickly escalate and get completely out of had. A confrontation took place here in Baton Rouge as few days ago, and it a black...Read More

We really have a jam-packed program scheduled for this coming weekend on “The Common Sense” Radio Show. I’ll discuss the FBI’s actions in letting Hillary Clinton off the hook, and the national attention on my hometown of Baton Rouge over recent police shooting that has the attention of the nation. And my guest will be...Read More

A tense situation exists in my hometown of Baton Rouge. Two police officers confronted a black male who was selling CDs late at night outside a convenience store. The confrontation escalated, a fight broke out, the police officers apparently felt threatened as the fellow they were trying to subdue had a gun, and shoots were...Read More

July 8th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana A KILLING IN BATON ROUGE! There is a perception around the country that high profile shootings are considered the norm in Louisiana. Nine police officers were killed in the line of duty last year, more than in any other state in the nation. New Orleans regularly heads the list...Read More

I hope you have read the many tributes that are being written about Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel. He was a Holocaust survivor, and the world’s memory keeper for victims of Nazi persecution who used his moral authority to force attention on atrocities around the world. He died at 87 this week. For many...Read More

June 30th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  EDUCATIONAL REFORM IGNORED IN LOUISIANA!  With a major national election just a month away, the stakes continue to get higher.  A well-educated workforce is the key to pulling the country out of the present economic doldrums.  But in election contests nationwide, and particularly in my home state of Louisiana,...Read More

Do you think our educators will ever quit all the internal bickering, and focus more on our kids? There seems to be constant struggles with legislatures, school boards, Departments of Education and other so called educational oversight groups over turf battles as to who does what.   Too often, our kids become an afterthought. Check out...Read More

Weekend radio is on the horizon, and we have a lively program scheduled for our listeners this 4th of July weekend. We will, of course, talk about the “down in the dirt” campaigns by both presidential aspirants, and talk with former FBI agent Colleen Rowley about recent bumbling investigations in the U.S. dealing with terrorists...Read More

The Brexit British vote to leave the European Union produced some interesting headlines in newspapers across the world. You can listen to my video cast above and see that I don’t believe the calamities predicted and the economic chaos will be anything like the naysayers are predicting. Take a look at some of the dire...Read More

Thursday, June 23rd, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA BEHIND ON INTERNET ACCESS! Newspapers are in trouble all across America.  A recent ax to fall is in New Orleans where The Times-Picayune has cut back to publishing three days a week. The reason is simple economics.  Since Katrina in 2005, The Times-Picayune daily circulation has dropped...Read More

Most of us take the Internet for granted. That is, if it is available and affordable for you. For millions of Americans, they are not on the web. Children are at a great disadvantage with homework if they can’t get on the web. So just how much a disconnect is there in America.? Check out...Read More

Radio lineup of guests will be posted Friday afternoon.Read More

Daughter Campbell is back in the news this week writing about the failure to seriously engage and support more girls in science, technology, engineering, and math classes. She says that the challenge for a just society is finding ways to remove systemic obstacles and erode cultural biases that devalue and limit opportunities for girls and women....Read More

It’s early summer when many of us turn our attention to—well either baseball or politics. It’s hard in the current sports and political climate to watch both in the evening. Would you rather watch Trump and Clinton go at it, or see if the Yankees can edge out a winning season? So what is it...Read More

Thursday, June 16th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LESSONS LEARNED: BASEBALL AND POLITICS!  Now that basketball is over, baseball season is in full swing. My college home team LSU just lost a heartbreaker that kept them from going to the college world series. I’m a die-hard Yankees fan and tune in to a number of their...Read More

Weekend radio is shaping up well with a variety of issues to discuss. Dr. Joe Alton joins us to discuss just what you should do if you are caught in a mass shooting. Timely after the Orlando tragedy. Then former Newsweek White House correspondent Clara Bingham will talk about how American life has changed in...Read More

Many readers who love Louisiana literature gathered this past weekend in St. Francisville, Louisiana to celebrate the live and works of novelist Walker Percy. He was, to me, a literary icon and many consider him to be America’s most significant Catholic writer. And he was passionate about Louisiana. So passionate that he took the time...Read More

Just a typical Saturday night hangin’ out with the original cast of Broadway’s Jersey Boys. After sharing the stage for over a thousand performances, Tony® Award winner Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and Tony® Award nominee J. Robert Spencer decided to take their signature sound and chemistry on the road as The Midtown Men....Read More

Donald Trump's Wall | New Media Sketch Comedy | UPP Studios – watch more funny videosRead More

Thursday, June 9th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana ARE PROSECUTORS ABOVE THE LAW IN LOUISIANA! Has prosecutorial misconduct become an epidemic in Louisiana? A number of national publications seem to think so. Nary a week goes by when there is not a story of some Louisiana prosecutor supposedly pursuing justice by breaking the law. Just this week, the...Read More

Let’s be blunt about this week’s column. The criminal justice system in America today has real problems. This is certainly the case in my home state of Louisiana. The New York Times blasted The Bayou State last week saying: “Nowhere is this situation worst then in Louisiana where prosecutors seem to believe they are unconstrained...Read More

A great show planned on weekend radio. Is tipping at restaurants becoming a thing of the past? We will talk with restaurant consultant Gina M. Lynn. (See more by Clicking Here.)Then Belldon Colme will talk about his book, “No One Ever Got Fat from Calories: The Real Truth Behind Weight Loss, Your Body, and Wellness.”...Read More

A reunion took place last week at a private luncheon held last week in the Rib Room, a former political haunt at he Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans.  The major Louisiana political  figures from the 70s gathered to reminisce and break bread.  And what an impressive group.  from left to right, former Kenner Mayor...Read More

No, Mr. Mayor “” we won’t shut up about your misrule of the schools! Daughter Campbell continues to stir up a hornet’s nest in taking on the Mayor of New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio challenged Compel and her charter schools: “˜They need to figure out when to give it a rest.” So declared the...Read More

Thursday, June 2nd, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  ROLLING THE DICE ON HURRICANE SEASON! It’s the kickoff for hurricane season and forecasters are predicting 14 named storms with anywhere from 4 to 8 storms growing into major hurricanes. Here on the Gulf Coast, we certainly perk up when this time of year rolls around.  For years,...Read More

Early summer means preparing for hurricane season if you live along the Gulf Coast. Well actually, concerns are much broader now following Hurricane Sandy. All coasts have exposure. So what do we do? Just sit back and wait for an oncoming storm? Or is there some preparedness that can be undertaken in advance? Check out...Read More

  Weekend Radio Guest Schedule to be posted Thursday afternoon.  Read More

Just after Familiar Evil, by Louisiana author Rannah Gray, won the Gold Medal at the 20th Annual Independent Publishers Awards in Chicago, it was announced that the National Indie Excellence Awards has named Familiar Evil the BEST NEW NON-FICTION AND BEST TRUE CRIME BOOK FOR 2016. Familiar Evil was also featured in the New Title...Read More

I have always regretted not learning to fly. I had ample opportunity, but always seem to be too busy. I did learn how to land an airplane, because, when I was in public life, I was in private planes every week. So I learned enough to set the plane down, but little more. I love...Read More

It’s graduation time of year, with kids at many levels are attending graduation ceremonies. Do you remember who spoke at your graduation? Most readers do not. I decided, this week, to set out some advice to these new graduates who are hoping to lead a successful life. My thoughts are pretty simple. Take a look...Read More

Our “Common Sense” weekend radio program is fast approaching, and we have a lively show planned for our listeners across the nation. Colonel Tony Deane has written an intense first person account of the pivotal battle of the Iraq War, the Battle of Ramadi. His book tells quite a story and is available by Clicking...Read More

Friday, May 27Th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TO GRADUATES “” THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ME!  Kids all over America graduated last week from kindergarten, grade school, high school, college and graduate schools. And there was always a commencement speaker. Most of you will never give a commencement address. But as a public official, I was called...Read More

The battle over the “bathroom law” in North Carolina has reached fever pitch over the past few weeks.  The law aims to ban transgender folks from using the bathroom of the gender they identify with, but the state has gotten some major pushback from the Federal government and popular figures. Well, country music superstar Brad Paisley...Read More

My longtime friend and political colleague in Louisiana Bobby Freeman passed away this week. He was a young 82, but died after suffering from an inoperable aneurysm. Bobby served as Louisiana’s Lt. Governor wihen I was Secretary of State. We campaigned together back in the 1980s, and remained close friends to the end. Bobby and...Read More

May 19th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  A MAJOR SHAKE UP NEEDED IN CONGRESS? With a national election only months away, the approval rate for members of Congress seems to be in free fall.  Few constituents approve of the dysfunction taking place in the nation’s capitol.  Just 10 years ago, Congress had an approval rating of 65%. ...Read More

Voters think their congressman is completely out of touch, and congress has a lower favorability rating than does polygamy. Members of congress rant and rave about the cesspool mentality in Washington, then jump right into the mix and make it a hot tub. What should congress do to regain some semblance of respect and voter...Read More

Weekend Radio Show Schedule to be posted Thursday afternoon.Read More

“Without question, to me, the issue is education,” says daughter Campbell Brown in the video above. “Two out of three eighth graders in this country cannot read or do math at grade level. We are not preparing our kids for what the future holds.” In the latest installment in a new weekly series from Slate,...Read More

Familiar Evil, by Louisiana author Rannah Gray and published by The Lisburn Press, has won top honors in the 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards, or IPPY Awards, presented this year in Chicago. Familiar Evil was awarded the Gold Medal for first place in the True Crime category. The IPPY Awards are the world’s largest international...Read More

Are we supposed to be politically correct about everything we do? Some people think so. Well there are issues involving race, gays, transgenders, praying in public, and even who can or cannot bake a cake. Everything we do these days has a “politically correct” connotation attached to it. Have we gone to far in America,...Read More

Great news on the radio front. I am pleased to have a new station that will begin carrying the Jim Brown “Common Sense” program beginning this weekend. We will welcome listeners hearing our program on WBCR 1470am in Alcoa, TN. Alcoa is part of the greater Knoxville metropolitan area, so the station will give our...Read More

Thursday, May 12th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  TOO MUCH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IN LOUISIANA! I don’t know about you, but I sure am confused about all this current debate over gender equity, gay rights, and transgenders. I keep reading in the newspaper about LGBT. I had to look up the lettering to even know what the...Read More

We have a jammed packed radio program scheduled for this weekend and we sure hope you can join us. Lawyer Jacquelyn Clark (www.cowlesthompson.com) will help us explain this whole transgender issue that has dominated the news. Do you like to sing but having voice problems? Voice coach Gary Catona will offer his expert advice. (www.garycatona.com)....Read More

You can see about every kind of outfit down in the New Orleans French Quarter. I often broadcast my weekend radio program overlooking Jackson Square. Following the death of Prince, purple was seen everywhere. I’m shown with some lovely Crescent City ladies on an afternoon stroll all in purple. I hope you can make a...Read More

Thursday, May 5th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HATE CRIMES IN LOUISIANA! There is a proposed new law that is roaring through the Louisiana legislature. Any physical attack on a law enforcement officer, firefighter or emergency services personnel will now be considered a hate crime. So what’s a hate crime you ask?  If someone is premeditatedly...Read More

Some crimes are so vicious that there would certainly seem to be hatred involved. But how do you tell? How do you get into someone’s head to figure out just what they are thinking? Do we need to have a “thought police?” Take a look at my new column now posted to see if you...Read More

We are ready to go for our weekend radio show. Time to make some common sense. We start off the program with Adm. Tom Church, to talk about his popular book, “Fixing Washington 2016.” See more by Clicking Here. Then Howard Eisenberg, who turned 90 this year, will discuss his career as an award-winning author,...Read More

There is really nothing like the sites and sounds you can hear in the French Quarter in the heart of New Orleans. Music is non-stop in Jackson Square. I can look out off my 3rd floor balcony and be entertained into the wee hours. I was out for a morning stroll last weekend, and came...Read More