Record freshman class: Baton Rouge Community College officials say the freshman class for the fall 2025 semester is the largest on record, with 2,722 first-year students enrolled. The freshman influx brings the total fall enrollment to 11,402. The previous record for first-year students was 2,501 set during the fall 2024 semester.

Challenging Cassidy: State Rep. Julie Emerson of Carencro announced she’ll challenge U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana’s first Republican Senate primary in 50 years. A key ally of Gov. Jeff Landry, Emerson, 37, touts her decade in the Legislature, leadership on tax reform and support for school vouchers. She joins a crowded GOP field seeking Cassidy’s seat. Read more from Louisiana Illuminator. 

Cutting corporate jobs: Amazon will cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs starting Tuesday, about 10% of its 350,000 corporate workforce, to reduce costs after pandemic overhiring. The layoffs mark Amazon’s largest since 2022, when 27,000 positions were cut. The company, which employs 1.55 million people overall, declined to comment. Read more from Reuters.