Louisiana Considered Podcast

If you've had trouble getting a COVID shot lately, you're not alone. People in Louisiana are running into a new obstacle when it comes to getting themselves or their kids vaccinated: confusion about who can get the shot and whether they need a prescription.As the Gulf States Newsroom's Drew Hawkins reports, pharmacies are creating their own rules — and they aren't consistent.The Port of New Orleans is moving forward with its plan to build a grain transfer facility on the Mississippi River in the Lower Ninth Ward.The facility will unload organic grain imported by the company Sunrise Foods. Norfolk Southern is also reactivating train tracks in the neighborhood to transport the grain. Last week, protestors gathered in front of the Sanchez Community Center, where the Port was holding an informational community meeting about the project. The coastal desk's Eva Tesfaye tells us more. A key ingredient of New Orleans' cultural identity is its food. And for locals, food is much more than sustenance. It's a cornerstone of the community, with recipes and stories passed down through generations.Charity Qalutaq Blanchett found this to be true when she first arrived in New Orleans, and was reminded of the relationship between food, land and people in her home state of Alaska. She founded the non-profit Dipping Spoon Foundation in 2019, which helps empower the next generation of indigenous youth to become culinary rock stars and food systems leaders through cultural identity.She joins us for more on her organization and finding community in New Orleans as a Black and Yup'ik woman. ___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Early voting is underway in the New Orleans mayor's race primary. For the next two weeks on Louisiana Considered, we'll be bringing you interviews with the top three candidates. Up first, The Times-Picayune/Editorial director and columnist Stephanie Grace spoke with city councilmember Oliver Thomas. He discussed his long political career, successes and failures of previous administrations and what he's learned from his time in prison 15 years ago after pleading guilty to bribery charges.In 1837, the children of Frédéric Frey, a German-born New Orleans merchant and financier, sat down for a portrait with French portrait painter Jacques Amans. Curiously, an enslaved Afro-Creole teenager named Bélizaire was included.However, for roughly a century of the painting's history, Bélizaire wasn't there. He'd been painted over, removed from the Frey family portrait. And only recently, that modification was removed to restore Bélizaire to the painting. Now, this piece of Louisiana history is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.Baton Rouge-based art and antique collector Jeremy Simien tells us more about the complex history of the nearly 200-year-old painting.–Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and researchers at Pennington Biomedical say they're focused on finding solutions for improved metabolic health. Louisiana is ranked third in the nation for childhood obesity, so this new initiative is connecting with parents, teachers, coaches and students to get to the heart of the issue. Melissa Martin, executive director of Greaux Healthy, and Dr. Kara Denstel, lead researcher on the Pennington Generation health study, join us for more.In 2022, New Orleans Public Library launched Crescent City Sounds, a music streaming platform made up entirely of local musicians. Now, they are expanding their collection and looking for new submissions through October 7. Joshua Smith is an adult programming associate with the New Orleans Public Library and facilitator of Crescent City Sounds. He tells us how new artists can submit their music.In New Orleans, a popular classical music festival is marking a milestone. The Crescent City Chamber Music Festival is celebrating 10 years of live music performances in venues across the city. Founder, artistic director and violist Luke Fleming joins us with the details. __Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

For the last two weeks on Louisiana Considered, we've been bringing you Wetlands Radio, a series on coastal restoration from producer Eve Abrams. Today: the final episodes.  First we explore glass recycling, and how one innovative idea can make a huge impact. Then we take the longview, and learn why our understanding of the coastline is perhaps Louisiana's greatest weapon against climate change. ___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

It's Thursday, and that means it's time to catch up on politics with The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate's editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. Today, she tells us about the likelihood that President Trump will still send the national guard to New Orleans — and why that puts Gov. Jeff Landry in a precarious position. Every two years, the state of Louisiana selects its Poet Laureate through its Endowment for the Humanities. The poet then travels the state encouraging fellow Louisianans to explore and engage with poetry.The latest Poet Laureate, Gina Ferrara, tells us more about her journey as a poet and educator, and how she's encouraging young people to pick up the pen. This week, Louisiana Considered continues to bring you Wetlands Radio, a series about coastal restoration from producer Eve Abrams. Today, we discuss backfilling canals. What is it? And why is this process — though effective and inexpensive — still a rare way to build back land?–Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!  Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Driving down St. Claude Avenue in New Orleans' Bywater neighborhood, the St. Roch Market is hard to miss. The historic public food hall first opened in 1875 and is where many popular restaurants and chains — like the Daily Beet and CR Coffee — got their start. Now, the St. Roch Market is celebrating 150 years with a birthday party on Saturday 27 at 2pm.Kevin Pedeaux, operator at the St. Roch Market, tells us about the food hall's history, significance and upcoming celebration.This week on Louisiana Considered, we continue bringing you Wetlands Radio, a seriesabout coastal restoration from producer Eve Abrams. Today, we learn how the oysters we eat in restaurants across the Gulf South just might be a part of coastal restoration.Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Last week, pro football hall of famer Emmitt Smith and reality star-turned recovery advocate Zac Clark stopped at Louisiana State University to discuss the opioid epidemic and how to combat it. LSU was the latest stop on their college tour with the Ready to Rescue Initiative, an organization that aims to fight the stigma of opioid addiction and teach people how to save lives with naloxone nasal spray. The Gulf States Newsroom's Drew Hawkins was in the room, and joins us now for more. This week on Louisiana Considered, we continue bringing you Wetlands Radio, a series about coastal restoration, from producer Eve Abrams. Today, we hear about the crucial role native plants play in restoring our coast.The New Orleans-based Musaica Chamber Ensemble is celebrating a milestone as it gears up for its 20th Anniversary. At the helm is founder and violist Bruce Owen. Owen joins us with more on the organization's history and how they're marking twenty years of classical music. __Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The last few years have seen an influx of Northern college students flocking to big Southern Universities. Whether they're attracted to college football season, a robust Greek life, cheaper tuition prices or HBCUs, the impact remains the same: an increased “southernization” of American culture. Jonquilyn Hill, host of the Explain It to Me podcast at Vox, has been exploring the newfound appeal of the American South. She joins us for more. Our airing of  Wetlands Radio, a series about coastal restoration from producer Eve Abrams, continues this week. Last week, we explored ways to build more land to restore our coast. Today, we hear how to foster that land and make it a home for native plants and animals. While it's important to make our land a healthy home for all plants and animals, some species require specific care. In honor of the start of hummingbird season this fall, we zero in on how to curate a bird feeder specifically to attract this musical creature. Erik Johnson, ornithologist and assistant professor at the LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources, tells us how to attract the bird and protect them from cold weather. —Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

This week on Louisiana Considered, we're bringing you Wetlands Radio, a series about coastal restoration from producer Eve Abrams. Today, diversions: how the river builds land and why many people want to mimic it. Then, we dive into dredging, the process of underwater excavation that allows humans to build land from what the river brought us. It's been two years since the Louisiana Department of Education launched the Steve Carter Tutoring Program, which provides $1500 in vouchers for private after-school tutoring for students with reading or math scores below grade level. And after a slow start, the program now has a waitlist.Safura Syed has been reporting on this for Verite News. She joins us for more.___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

It's Thursday and that means it's time to catch up on politics with The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate's editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. Today, we break down the latest in the New Orleans mayor's race, including fundraising, poll numbers and what it means to be a “New Orleanian.” Louisiana schools have made some big strides in recent years. Math and reading scores are as high – or higher – than they were before the pandemic. According to one analysis, Louisiana is the only state that has made a full recovery in both subjects and has continued to improve. But there's another data point that's been harder to move: Attendance. Misty Davis, executive director of attendance strategies at the Louisiana Department of Education, tells us more about targeting truancy.This week on Louisiana Considered, we're bringing you Wetlands Radio, a series about coastal restoration from producer Eve Abrams. Between natural disasters, offshore drilling and the petrochemical industry, Louisiana might seem like an unlikely place to lead coastal restoration movements. Today, we learn how Louisiana became a world leader in restoration despite -- or perhaps because -- of the ongoing environmental concerns.___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!  Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The Louisiana Economic Development (LED) agency is charged with bringing new industry to the state and helping expand existing businesses. Recently, the organization has launched four new initiatives to give businesses the tools, visibility and support to thrive. Capitol Access reporter Brooke Thorington joins us for an overview of the new programs.Congress will cut funding to the educational component of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at the end of this month. The program, known as SNAP-Ed, is primarily a community outreach effort to deliver nutrition education and food purchasing assistance to low-income people.Denise Holston, an associate professor and nutrition extension specialist at LSU AgCenter, which has been administering the program in the state, tells us what happens next. This week on Louisiana Considered, we're bringing you Wetlands Radio, a series aboutcoastal restoration from producer Eve Abrams. Today, we hear how the oil industry boom and bust gave rise to coastal restoration in Louisiana.—Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The deaths of two bicyclists on a busy New Orleans roadway have energized a long-running conversation about making the city's streets safer.The Gulf States Newsroom's Kat Stromquist takes a ride down St. Claude Avenue to report on the push for change.Musical siblings Marlon and Rachel Jordan's southern tour is making a stop in Baton Rouge. The Jordans are the children of legendary New Orleans jazz saxophonist, Edward “Kidd” Jordan. Rachel, the classical violinist in the group, joins us for more on the tour and her family's musical influences.This week on Louisiana Considered, we are bringing you Wetlands Radio, a series about coastal restoration from producer Eve Abrams. Today, we learn how 260 million years of geologic history sets the stage for the coast we live on today.__Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Increasing temperatures in New Orleans are driving up utility bills as air-conditioners struggle to keep up. And some people are more vulnerable than others, like seniors.The Gulf States Newsroom's Drew Hawkins worked with the climate research group, Climate Central, and reports from the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood in New Orleans, where seniors with lower incomes struggle to deal with the heat — both physically and financially.The U.S. rice industry has made impressive gains in sustainability over the last 40 years. Yet the crop is still at risk due to climate change, disease outbreaks, pests and human activity that can cause disturbances in production. The LSU AgCenter is continuing its research on rice sustainability, in large part thanks to a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Ronnie Levy, state rice specialist at the LSU AgCenter, joins us for more on this research.Over the next two weeks on Louisiana Considered, Producer Eve Abrams will be sharing a series of stories on coastal restoration. Wetlands Radio traces the history of coastal restoration and the methods Louisiana is using to restore our coast. Today, we learn how land loss is measured and what to do when our land disappears.—Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The LSU Museum of Art recently opened a new exhibit, “A Bayou State of Mind,” that tells individual stories of the Louisiana experience. Chief Curator of Exhibitions Michelle Schulte brought together 33 artists and over 100 contemporary artworks that tell different stories about Louisiana. Schulte joins us to discuss the exhibition, along with one of the featured painters, New Orleans-based multimedia artist Carl Joe Williams. This year, LSU's Golden Band from Tigerland introduced a new member, Kent Broussard. But the freshman isn't your typical student. The 66-year-old retired accountant is roughly 40 years older than his bandmates. By marching in the purple and gold, he is living out a lifelong dream. Kent joins us now for more on his history-making role in the band.___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

It's Thursday, and that means it's time to catch up on politics with The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate's editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. Today, she breaks down the latest poll numbers in the New Orleans mayor's race. After a decade of haggling, disposing, redesigning and modifying, the state's Public Service Commission finally approved an energy efficiency program on August 20.  So far, it has the support of utility companies, advocacy groups and PSC commissioners.Alaina DiLaura, policy coordinator for the Alliance for Affordable Energy, joins us to explain the program and how it will save money for residents.The New Orleans Saints had their first game of the 2025 season, ending months of speculation and what-ifs. The Saints lost SCORE against Y. But fans are still optimistic about new head coach Kellen Moore's first season.Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate Saints columnist Jeff Duncan joins us for his take on the start of the season—Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!  Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Louisiana is dealing with its worst whooping cough outbreak in decades. Hospitalizations have continued to rise over the summer, and two babies have died. Health reporter Rosemary Westwood joins us for more on the outbreak and why the disease is so dangerous for young babies.The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) has released its annual scorecard, an analysis of the legislature's performance on a number of policy issues from a business and industry perspective including tort reform, education, energy diversity and taxes.Will Green, President and CEO of the LABI, joins us to break down the results. According to the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, early childcare providers continue to face low pay and longer hours than K-12 educators. Mattilyn Karst Batson, research & policy director for the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, tells us more about these challenges.—-Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Earlier this year, Facebook's parent company, Meta, broke ground on a $10 billion data center for artificial intelligence in the middle of a Louisiana cornfield. Located in the town of Holly Ridge, the unfinished data center is already turning Richland Parish into a boomtown.Stephanie Riegel has been covering this for the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate. She tells us about her recent trip to the region.Renowned painter, author and illustrator Alex Beard might be known for his Magazine Street Studio, but the artist is waxing poetic in a new collection of bird artwork and original poems. His new book, “For the Birds: An Artist's Aviary,” comes out later this month.__Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The nonpartisan, public policy organization, Leaders for a Better Louisiana, recently released its latest Louisiana Fact Book. It's a list of 35 indicators over five key areas used to measure the state's overall wellbeing. The organization's chief policy officer, Barry Erwin, joins us to discuss this year's slight upward trend.The documentary “City of A Million Dreams - Parading for The Dead In New Orleans” explores the history and evolution of the New Orleans jazz funeral. That final goodbye is a mix of grief and joy, sadness and elation, weeping and second line dancing. Director Jason Berry joins us to discuss the making of the film, and how viewers can watch on Louisiana Public Broadcasting.Two decades after Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans still has plenty of vacant lots, especially in the majority Black neighborhood of the Lower Ninth Ward. After the storm, Black New Orleanians struggled to return to their land and rebuild their homes, in part, because of the way the city and the state handled recovery efforts. As the coastal desk's Eva Tesfaye reports, one artist has navigated a bureaucratic city program to reclaim her family's land, with the help of her community. —Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

For the first time since Hurricane Katrina made landfall 20 years ago, you can take a train ride across the Gulf Coast, from Mobile to New Orleans. And all these years later, the cities along that route are still living with the storm's aftermath. In this episode, we hop aboard the train and make four Gulf Coast stops along the way to share that story. About what happened during Katrina. How some places built back better, and how others are still trying to figure out how to rebuild.---This episode was reported and hosted by Stephan Bisaha of the Gulf States Newsroom. Sea Change's executive producer, Carlyle Calhoun, co-hosted the episode.Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. For another great podcast serving up more great stories from the region, check out Gulf States Gumbo wherever you get your podcasts.Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Sea Change is also supported by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

It's Thursday, and time for our Week in Politics with the Times Picayune's/The Advocate's editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. Today, we discuss President Trump's proposal to send the National Guard to New Orleans and how Gov. Jeff Landry has responded. Ask anyone in New Orleans, and they know: Hurricane Katrina was such a devastating disaster because of the catastrophic failure of the city's levee system. In the storm's wake, the federal government built an entirely new levee system, and the state created entirely new organizations to oversee it. Despite the upgrades, water policy critics are warning that politics could be undermining the city's most important protection against the next storm. The coastal desk's Eva Tesfaye tells us more. You have an idea, and you convince your friends to join you in realizing it.  They move to another city, in this case, New Orleans. But just before that vision is about to take center stage, Katrina hits.That's what happened to The NOLA Project when they were getting ready for their first production as a theatre company in 2005. But the group returned to the city and persevered, often performing their works outside of traditional venues and in “found spaces.”Founder Andrew Larimer and original company member and second artistic director, AJ Allegra, tell us more about the theatre's unique origin story.___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!  Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

In 2020 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that non-unanimous jury verdicts – previously legal only in Louisiana and Oregon – were unconstitutional. Yet there are more than one thousand people in our state who had been convicted by non-unanimous juries before the court ruling and who remain behind bars. Richard Webster joins us for more on what happens next to those who have been convicted by split juries.Last month, Second Harvest Food Bank announced it will open two new facilities in south Louisiana, one in Lake Charles and the other in Houma. Second Harvest says these facilities will better position the organization to respond to disasters more quickly, providing an uninterrupted supply chain. John Sillars, chief strategy officer for Second Harvest Food Bank, tells us more. Immigration remains a priority at the White House. And reports from around the country show traffic arrests are playing a part. For some, everyday roadside encounters are leading to immigration detention. Bobbi-Jeanne Misick of Verite News and Kat Stromquist from the Gulf States Newsroom wanted to find out if this was true in Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans with a large Hispanic population. They discussed their findings with The Gulf States Newsroom's Drew Hawkins.After Hurricane Katrina, many musicians left New Orleans, raising fears that the city could lose its musical culture. Then two prominent jazz musicians got together and created a village to bring the musicians back.The Gulf State Newsroom's Joseph King reports the place is still thriving. —Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The New Orleans arts community, which was scattered across the nation post-Katrina in 2005, provided a healing balm for the city when artists finally made their way back home. Fast forward to 2008, an idea spawned at WWNO by general manager Paul Maassen provided a platform for those struggling artists to bring the community together.That platform is what we now know as Culture Collision, a preview of the arts and cultural season, which is celebrating 15 years. WWNO business manager and spokesperson Jameeta Youngblood tells us more about what's on deck for this year's Sept. 10 event. Hurricane Katrina is largely associated with widespread flooding and displacement in New Orleans, but it also devastated coastal Mississippi. It became the worst storm in the state's history as thousands of homes and businesses from the coast to the I-10 highway were destroyed.In Gulfport, in the heart of Mississippi's Gulf Coast, a group of historic Black communities found themselves at the center of it all. The Coastal Desk's Michael McEwen reports on how increased development has surrounded these historic communities, making them more vulnerable to flooding and future storms.  This year, Be Loud Studios launched Born After the Storm, an audio storytelling project that brings youth who were not alive for Hurricane Katrina into the citywide conversation about the legacy of the storm. The stories will also anchor a new classroom curriculum that allows students to discuss the impact of Katrina.Today, we hear from 12th grader Amari Walton, who discusses her grandmother's experience during the storm.__Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

When Hurricane Katrina happened 20 years ago, 4-year-old Nigel Tapp evacuated from the Lower Ninth Ward to Montclair, New Jersey – the hometown of managing producer Alana Schreiber. When his pre-K classmates learned that his family had lost their house to the storm, they wrote a book and sold it to raise money. Twenty years after Katrina – and the publication of “Nigel and the Hurricane,” Schreiber reunited Nigel with his classmates and the pre-K teacher who started it all.Check out the full story here.___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

When Hurricane Katrina made landfall 20 years ago, New Orleans East was especially hard hit. This part of the city is home to a large Vietnamese population, many of whom had experienced fleeing their home in the aftermath of the Fall of Saigon. Yet the Vietnamese community bounced back, in larger numbers, and at a faster rate than many other enclaves. Cyndi Nguyen is a New Orleans East resident and former city council woman who currently serves as the community outreach strategist for New Orleans Regional Transit Authority.  She tells us more about how this community recovered.In the immediate aftermath of Katrina, thousands of displaced people were looking for their missing relatives. Queries popped up on various websites, like Craigslist and Yahoo, but the posts were too scattered to be useful. That's when a group of tech-savvy volunteers came in, led by David Geilhufe. They compiled the information to create one centralized database to find the missing, called PeopleFinder. David joins us from California to discuss PeopleFinder and his work in the aftermath of the storm.Many people displaced from Hurricane Katrina came to Baton Rouge en masse. Faith groups of all kinds took the call to help their needs both spiritually and physically. Report for America corps member Alex Cox spoke with retired interfaith federation executive director Reverend Robin McCullough-Bade about how Katrina weighs on people's spirits to this day. ___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!  Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

When Hurricane Katrina made landfall 20 years ago, many residents were looking to find their way out of New Orleans, but journalists were descending upon the city looking for a way in. In the days and weeks that followed, the country was overwhelmed with a variety of media narratives, as journalists worked to report honestly on the situation without ignoring the fear and desperation they saw. For many, they had to toe the line between telling the story and getting involved in the story. Jeré Longman, a longtime New York Times sports reporter now on the Obituaries Desk,and former WWL-TV anchor, Thanh Truong, tell us about their experiences covering Katrina. They're joined by poet Shelton Shakespeare Alexander, who brought his camera to the Superdome when he evacuated, and sought to share the story from the inside. Media coverage in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has been criticized for amplifying rumors and spreading misinformation. Journalists in and from New Orleans – like some of the ones we heard from – worked to cut through the confusion. The Gulf States Newsroom's Drew Hawkins reports on how smaller, local publications also played a role in keeping the city afloat.This year, Be Loud Studios launched Born After the Storm, an audio storytelling project that brings youth – who were not alive for Hurricane Katrina – into the citywide conversation about the legacy of the storm. The stories will also anchor a new classroom curriculum that allows students to discuss the impacts of Katrina.Today, we'll hear from two of those storytellers. 12th graders Joi Metoyer and Mai Smith share how Katrina has impacted their families and their lives.___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

After Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans 20 years ago, public education in the city came to a complete stop. And when schools reopened, many of the city's educators didn't get their jobs back. Instead, they were replaced with young people who were new to teaching and new to New Orleans.Education reporter Aubri Juhasz spoke with two teachers on opposite sides of that divide.While all New Orleans public schools were forced into this all-charter system, the ways in which the schools bounced back were uneven. And some schools were dramatically different than they had been in the pre-storm years. Marta Jewson, reporter for The Lens Nola, profiled one such school, John McDonough High from its integration in 1967 – seven years after the first New Orleans Schools were integrated – to its role as an elementary charter school today. She joins us now for more. Because it's been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina, that means there are plenty of young people throughout the city who have no memory of the storm – they weren't around yet. But many of them can still feel the weight of this tragedy, and have grown up hearing stories about how the storm impacted their friends, family and community. The storytelling organization Be Loud Studios has recently launched a new curriculum, Born After the Storm, that gives teachers a way to discuss Hurricane Katrina with their students. Be Loud's executive director Alex Owens tells us more.  __Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Hurricane Katrina destroyed an estimated 320 million trees in the Gulf Coast. This was not only a dramatic shift in the look of the landscape, but left the region more vulnerable to further disasters without the trees to absorb carbon and intercept stormwater.Over the last 20 years, NOLA Tree Project has planted tens of thousands of trees to help rebuild New Orleans' canopy. Executive director Connie Uddo joins us to talk about the project. .Climate change is making hurricanes stronger than before. Five years ago, the Federal Emergency Management Agency started a program to fund projects that help prevent damage from disasters, before they happen. Louisiana was supposed to receive more than $720million dollars. Then the Trump administration cancelled the program.The Coastal Desk's Eva Tesfaye reports on what that means for New Orleans' preparedness for future storms.We can't talk about Hurricane Katrina recovery without discussing Sankofa Community Development Corporation. The organization was founded and supported by Lower Ninth Ward residents and focuses on wetlands restoration, farming and health. Founder and CEO of Sankofa CDC, Rashida Ferdianand, tells us how the organization is expanding to focus on economic advancement, workforce development and investing in the neighborhood's overall future and sustainability.—Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Two decades after Hurricane Katrina and its devastating aftermath reshaped New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, we gathered to remember all that was lost, reflect on the lessons learned, and pay tribute to all the good that has been done in the two decades since. And, we look to the future: where do we go from here, and how can this region not just survive but thrive?Renowned jazz musician Dr. Michael White performs original music written in response to Katrina and reflects on connections between recovering from the tragedy and the city's jazz culture. (Dr. White on clarinet, Mitchell Claire on bass, and Sevva Bennet on banjo.)And we are joined by an esteemed panel:Troy Carter - US Congressman. He was previously a member of the Louisiana State Senate, served on the New Orleans City Council, and was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.Colette Pichon Battle - Lawyer and Climate Justice Organizer. She's the vision and initiatives partner for Taproot Earth, a frontline organizing project working across the Gulf and Global South.David Waggonner -Architect and founder of Waggonner and Ball, an award-winning, internationally active architecture and environment practice located in New Orleans.Josh Lewis - Scientist and Schwartz Professor of River and Coastal Studies at the Tulane Bywater Institute.—Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Sea Change is also supported by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

The Katrina 20 Local Planning Committee is commemorating Hurricane Katrina with performances, art and more, throughout the city, stretching to Mississippi and Alabama.The Coastal Desk's Eva Tesfaye spoke with Asali deVan Ecclesiastes, executive director of the Ashé Cultural Arts Center, to learn more about the events and how you can get involved. For months, the Trump administration has been cutting funding for university-based scientific research across the nation. But the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network recently logged a ‘win'with the renewal of one of its grants from the National Institute of Health–$20 million spread out over five years.Dr. Konstantin "Gus" Kousoulas, a professor and department head in the LSU School Veterinary Medicine's Department of Pathobiological Sciences and director of their Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, joined us to discuss the grant and how it will be used.—Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

MakeGood is a New Orleans-based nonprofit that creates custom-designed, 3D-printed prosthetics for people with disabilities and limb differences. We speak with Noam Platt, the organization's founder, and James Robert III, director of advanced fabrication, about how the group works directly with people to design devices tailored to their needs.Next week, more than 75 young New Orleans actors will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with “504: The Hip-Hop Musical,”  a production by the Anthony Bean Community Theater and Acting School. The one-night-only performance will take place on Saturday, Aug. 30. ABCT founder and artistic director Anthony Bean and actor Jordan Bates join us with the details.A “zine” is a folded piece of paper showing off someone's art or writing that can be found at libraries or purchased at gatherings. The medium has long been associated with countercultural movements. Report for America corps member Alex Cox visited a Baton Rouge Zinefest and found works on everything from trans joy to how the CIA used abstract expressionist art as a cultural weapon.__Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

It's been nearly 20 years since Hurricane Katrina made landfall, destroying countless communities in its wake. One neighborhood that suffered the wrath of the storm and never fully recovered is the Desire Area in the Upper Ninth Ward. Back in 2018, NPR's Laine Kaplan Levinson reported on the history of this neighborhood and misconceptions about an area known for its public housing. Today, we give that story a second listen.WWNO and WRKF have partnered with the producers of the PBS documentary, Caregiving, to shine a spotlight on America's caregiving crisis. We talked to people in south Louisiana about the unique challenges the region brings when caring for others.Today, we hear from Barbara Youngblood, a dedicated caregiver for her community and family for over 20 years. Now that she is the recipient of caregiving, she has seen the process from both sides of the relationship and considers the lessons she has learned.___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

It's Thursday and that means it's time to catch up on politics with The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate's editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. Today we hear about the latest polls, dropouts and endorsements in New Orleans' mayor's race.At the end of July, Jefferson Parish lost its bond rating. It wasn't downgraded or reduced – it was lost completely, pulled by Moody's and S&S Global Ratings. The Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate's Lara Nicholson has been covering this story. She joins us to discuss the impact of this loss and more. As the Trump administration continues to diminish or halt renewable energy initiatives, one wind energy technology program in Louisiana is notching early success. The Nunez Community College's Wind Energy Technology is getting students involved with the Gulf Wind Technology.The program's chair, Kat Bell, and student John Tsai join us to share more about the projects. –Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!  Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Steep cuts are coming to SNAP benefits, better known as food stamps. And that's bad news for grocery stores that see the bulk of their sales from SNAP dollars. The Gulf States Newsroom's Stephan Bisaha reports from one independent grocery store in Alabama bracing for the cuts.An unprecedented natural disaster is a dramatic way to learn hard lessons about how we plan and construct our cities. Yet Hurricane Katrina, 20 years ago, did just that for New Orleans. Since Katrina, New Orleans has been trying to make buildings and infrastructure more resilient, while preserving the city's cultural identity. David Dixon, a nationally recognized urban planner, helped draft the city's post-Katrina Master Plan. He joins us to discuss  the lessons he learned. For more than three decades, reporter Robin Fambrough has kept her readers updated on prep high school sports. From basketball, to softball, wrestling, cross country and more, Fambrough has often brought a voice to underrepresented sports, athletes and coaches. She was the first female president of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and first female sports writer inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, among other accolades.Fambrough has recently announced her retirement. As she prepares to leave the prep school beat behind, she joins us for more on her life and career.—Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The Friends of the New Orleans Public Library organization is holding its first-ever all-children's book sale. And it comes as a new school year begins. The organization's director, Shannan Cvitanovic tells us more about the event and who is invited. The NOLA Project: Theatre for the BOLD, recently announced its 2025-26 season, and this year's works revolve around iconic texts. Artistic Director Tenaj Wallace joins us with a sneak peek at what's to come.The StoryCorps Mobile Tour visited Baton Rouge last November and invited volunteers to record conversations about topics of their choosing. Susan Jeansonne and Tia Embaugh discussed the unlikely cross-generational friendship they've developed for over 20 years. Please be aware that there is language that some may find offensive at the end of this story.__Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

August signals the end of summer break, and students across Louisiana are heading back into the classroom. Monday  is the first day of  school for public school students in Orleans, Jefferson and Lafayette parishes. Students in Baton Rouge returned to class last week – and were met with a host of changes.Charles Lussier covers education for The Baton Rouge Advocate. He joins us to break down those changes.The Louisiana Shakespeare Company is presenting an adaptation of William Shakespeare's “The Tempest.” And many Louisianans will find the story of a storm that decimates a town rather familiar. In fact, the setting for this performance is modern-day New Orleans.  Director Jennifer Bouquet and actor Timmie Callais tell us about this upcoming rendition of a classic Shakespeare tragedy. New Orleans is getting hotter. You can see that in numbers and charts — but what does it sound like? The Gulf States Newsroom's Drew Hawkins talked to musicians in New Orleans about how the heat is affecting them — and to get some help turning the data into music.—Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

It's Thursday, and that means it's time to catch up on politics with Stephanie Grace, editorial director and columnist for The Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate. We hear about the latest candidate to challenge Sen. Cassidy's (R-La.) seat in Congress, and whether or not President Trump will weigh in on the election. Earlier this month, the Trump administration issued a two-year exemption to an EPA rule that aims to curb  pollution and cancer risks for those who live near industrial plants.The move affects a dozen Louisiana petrochemical companies and the communities that surround them. Some say the proclamation will endanger the health of people who live in the Mississippi River Industrial Corridor and the Lake Charles area.  Coastal Desk reporter Eva Tesfaye joins us to discuss  the potential impacts. The Glass Recycling Foundation's 2024 report says only about a third of the glass in the U.S.  is recycled annually . About 9 million tons of glass ends up in landfills each year. And this is despite the fact that glass is endlessly recyclable.A group in New Orleans is trying to change that. Glass Half Full began their efforts in the backyard of a fraternity house, and over  the last five years, they've become a force in glass recycling in the Gulf South.Franziska Trautmann, co-founder of Glass Half Full, tells us more about how recycled glass can help restore the coast. ___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!  Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

A new police accountability law, passed by lawmakers this past legislative session, aims to keep law enforcement officers from using excessive force. This comes after a sheriff's deputy was caught on video dragging a woman by her hair and slamming her into the ground. Richard Webster has been covering this for Verite News and Pro Publica. He joins us for more. The Louisiana Children's Museum in New Orleans received a major grant that will be used to help the museum better connect to an older audience. The $2.5 million grant will be used to target teenagers – which most children's museums do not normally cater to. CEO of the Louisiana Children's Museum, Tifferney White, tells us more.We might be halfway through the summer, but maybe you're still looking for a creative outlet. Third Lantern Lit is an organization in New Orleans that brings together writers from across the state looking to hone their craft. And this summer, they're encouraging writers –and potential writers– of all levels to pick up the pen.Director of community outreach at Third Lantern Lit, Lit Daphne Armbruster, tells us more about the free programs. ___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The 25th annual Satchmo Summerfest, an event celebrating the life and legacy of New Orleans jazz visionary Louis Armstrong, kicks off this weekend. Emily Madero, CEO of French Quarter Festivals, Inc., tells us what festivalgoers can expect during the two-day celebration.Researchers from Pennington Biomedical and Tulane University are collaborating to find a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gherig's disease. We speak with the two doctors leading the project, Pennington Biomedical's Dr. Jeffery Keller and Tulane's Dr. Aron Culotta, about how they're using artificial intelligence to discover new drugs.__Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

As the qualifying period for the Oct. 11 election closed earlier this month, multiple seats were left without qualifiers. A majority of these vacant seats are in rural parts of northern Louisiana. Report for America Corps Member Alex Cox tells us more. A yearlong federal investigation resulted in the arrests of four local lawmen accused of participating in a paid scheme in order to bypass immigration laws. Now, residents in Western Louisiana parishes are left trying to make sense of it all. Joseph Cranney has been investigating this story for The Times Picayune/ New Orleans Advocate. He joins us with the details.New Orleans is on the short list to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention, where the party will select its ticket for the next presidential election and adopt a policy platform. The news was recently revealed by executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, Dadrius Lanus.Lanus joins us for more on New Orleans's bid to host the DNC, and why he thinks the Crescent City is the ideal spot.—Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

El Bosque, Mexico, a tiny fishing village on Mexico's Gulf Coast, is quickly vanishing into the sea. In this episode, we journey to El Bosque to meet the town's most unlikely hero—one person determined to fight for a future as her neighbors flee the encroaching waves.---This episode was reported by Alvaro Céspedes. It was hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and Alvaro. Editing by Johanna Zorn, Carlyle Calhoun, with additional help from Ricardo Lopez Cordero. Translation by Elsa Gil (as Lupe Cobos) and Sofia Garfias (as Cristina Pacheco). Fact-checking by Garrett Hazelwood. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste, and our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. Carlyle Calhoun is the executive producer.Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Sea Change is also supported by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

Last Friday, Congress approved the Trump administration's request to rescind federal funding for National Public Radio and PBS. While this move will impact all NPR stations, the smaller, rural ones are most vulnerable. Today, we are dedicating an entire episode to discuss the impacts of these cuts, hearing community reactions, and discussing potential solutions with a panel of guests from NPR stations across the country. Philip Manning, general manager of KTNA in Talkeetna, Alaska; Jarle Kvale, program director at KEYA on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota; and Lori Gilbert, Morning Edition host and the only local radio news reporter at KNCC in Elko, Nevada, join us.___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!  Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Louisiana is one of 30 states with laws that criminalize exposing or transmitting HIV. This past legislative session, time narrowly ran out on a bill that would've expanded Louisiana's law to other/additional sexually transmitted infections.Louisiana has some of the highest rates of STIs in the nation, including HIV, but a growing body of evidence shows criminal penalties hurt efforts to solve the public health crisis. Verite New's Halle Parker joins to talk about these laws and their consequences. If you're looking for materials about Louisiana's historical heritage, one of the places you might go is LSU Libraries' Special Collections. And you don't necessarily have to physically go digging for the records anymore– much of their materials are accessible online through the Louisiana Digital Library.They recently secured a grant to help digitize more of their materials and make those documents and images more easily available to the wider world on their online interface. Gina Costello, associate dean of Technology & Special Collections, LSU Libraries joins us to discuss how the library is expanding its reach.Last November, the StoryCorps Mobile Tour visited Baton Rouge and invited volunteers to record conversations about topics of their choosing. Two participants, “Patience” Carter and Precious McCray, discussed poetry, their friendship of 20 years and McCray's recent opportunity to meet her biological family for the first time at age 35. ___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The state recently announced it will cancel the Mid-Barataria sediment diversion plan, the biggest-ever coastal restoration project in Louisiana history. The project was nixed because costs got too high,, and will be replaced with a scaled-down  version. The Coastal Desk's Eva Tesfaye has been reporting on the Mid-Barataria project. She joins us today with an update. July is Disability Pride Month and Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser has made it his mission to improve accessibility throughout the state. Over the past few years, he's helped the state add  more all-terrain wheelchairs and paved nature trails to its parks, He's also added more chair lifts to pools expanded inclusive playgrounds and more.The Lt. Gov joins us to discuss  his latest projects and why he has become a champion for accessibility.“Carousel” is coming to the Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre. The Rogers and Hammerstein musical explores love, loss and redemption in a small New England town. Director/choreographer Diane Lala joins us now. __Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Under a new law, law enforcement officers who don't comply with immigration authorities like ICE could face criminal charges. This could bring big changes for local jailers, including the Orleans Parish Sheriff, along with everyday Louisiana residents. Bobbi-Jeanne Misick has been reporting this story for Verite News and joins for more.An observatory hidden in the woods in Louisiana recently detected a black hole merger. And while it took less than a tenth of a second, it was the largest collision of two black holes ever observed.  The discovery was made at Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, better known as LIGO. Joseph Giaime, head of the observatory, joins us to talk about the event, and how the observatory may be impacted by federal budget cuts. Throughout the summer on Louisiana Considered, we are bringing you episodes of What Was Lost, a series from Verite News that explores the emotional and physical costs of Hurricane Katrina. Today we hear from Terry Mogilles, a nurse who lost  an important piece of furniture that once belonged to Wendell Green, an early 20th century Black businessman who was born into slavery. —Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Every summer, Baton Rouge General Burn Center and Foundation offers pediatric burn survivors the opportunity to attend a summer camp. Since 2019, Camp Catahoula has offered these young burn survivors a chance to meet others who have faced the same obstacles with a week full of horseback riding, art and crafts, fishing and other summer camp activities. Sadie Stockwell, co-director and physical therapist assistant at the Baton Rouge Burn Center, and Shay Shay Turner, a burn survivor and camper-turned-counselor, tell us more about Camp Catahoula.Earlier this week, the Major League Baseball draft took even the top experts by surprise with how the picks were ordered. But this wasn't the first time in history when player selections turned heads. In October of 1945, Jackie Robinson signed his first minor league contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Not long after, the Dodgers also signed Johnny Wright, a pitcher from New Orleans. While Wright never made it to the majors, he helped to integrate the minor leagues alongside Robinson in Montréal and Daytona Beach.His daughter, Carlis Wright Robinson grew up hearing whispers about her father's career, but never knew the full story. That's until she did some research and wrote a book on his life and legacy, “The Wright Side of History: The Life and Career of Johnny Wright, Co-Pioneer in Breaking Baseball's Color Barrier, as Told by His Daughter.” She joins us now to talk about her book and her father's legacy. ___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The field for New Orleans' fall elections is now set, and there were a few last-minute surprises before the candidate filing deadline. The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate's editorial director and columnist Stephanie Grace joins us to break down the crowded field of candidates. Last week, the National Federation of the Blind National Convention came to New Orleans. The convention is the largest gathering of blind people in the world, and it offers  training, support, networking and more to people from all over the country who are blind.Edward Bell was one of the guests that many were excited to meet. Bell is the director of Professional Development and Research at the Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University. He joins us to talk about  his life and his mission to create more employment opportunities for the blind.According to the National Registry of Exonerations, more than 80 people in Louisiana have been exonerated after being wrongfully convicted.  Calvin Duncan is among them. While he faced his trial, and as he spent 28 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, Duncan started to learn everything he could about the law to fight for his freedom and the freedom of fellow inmates.Duncan and co-author Sophie Cull tell his story in the new book, "The Jailhouse Lawyer." The Gulf States Newsroom's Kat Stromquist spoke to them about the memoir. ___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!  Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Pedestrian fatalities tend to rise nationwide over the summer months, and Louisiana consistently ranks among the top 10 states with the highest numbers. Capitol access reporter Brooke Thorington spoke with Greg Fischer, spokesperson of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, about how pedestrians and drivers can better follow safety protocols.The shortage of healthcare professionals — in particular, nurses — has been a perennial problem. But one nursing program in New Orleans is combating this issue by catering to working professionals and non-traditional students.University of Holy Cross president, Dr. Stanton McNeely, and chair of the Department of Nursing, Dr. Kristy Solis, tell us how they are aiming to make their program more available for more students. This summer on Louisiana Considered, we are airing stories from “What Was Lost,” a series from Verite News that examines the emotional and physical costs of Hurricane Katrina. Longtime New Orleans journalist Mark Schleifstein had been reporting on the potential for disastrous flooding. In a bitterly ironic twist, the journalism awards he earned for this coverage were destroyed by the 2005 storm that he had predicted. —-Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Day 2 of the MLB draft wrapped up Monday, and now several Louisiana college ballplayers know where they'll be continuing their careers. Nine  LSU prospects were selected along with three from Tulane, and a handful more from Southern, Southeastern and Louisiana Tech – but some of the picks took baseball experts by surprise. Koki Riley covers LSU baseball for The Baton Rouge Advocate. He joined us to break down the selections. The Pulitzer-Prize winning drama, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” continues the  10th anniversary season at the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company. This production is complete with the seldom-produced original Broadway ending. Co-Artistic Directors Augustin Correro and Nick Shackleford give us the details behind this performance. A high-profile jailbreak in May drew nationwide attention to the lockup in Orleans Parish. But one research group says this isn't the first time the jail has had problems — and they might know why. The Gulf States Newsroom's Kat Stromquist spoke to Rebecca Mowbray with the Bureau of Governmental Research to learn more.___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. We get production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The last remaining piece of a damaged American ship from World War II has been found. A team of scientists and explorers discovered the bow of the USS New Orleans off the coast of the Solomon Islands more than 70 years after the battle. Mark Ballard has been reporting this story for The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate and joins us to talk about  the discovery.In June, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed House Bill 675, a law that restricts the ability of prisoners to try and prove their innocence once they're behind bars. The law's passage is part of Landry's larger effort to overhaul the state's criminal legal system. Piper French, a reporter for Bolts Magazine, joins us to discuss the law's intended impacts. Mississippi is set to receive more than $300 million from lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, marketers and distributors. The Gulf States Newsroom's Drew Hawkins sat down with Christina Dent, author of Curious: A Foster Mom's Discovery of an Unexpected Solution to Drugs and Addiction, to talk about her own journey rethinking drug addiction and how Mississippi can change its approach.—Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Climate change is bad news for almost everyone. Emphasis on almost, because believe it or not, one marine species is absolutely thriving as the Gulf warms: Bull sharks!Get ready for some shark science as we learn why bull sharks are increasing in numbers across the Gulf and getting hungrier.—This episode was hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and Katelyn Harrop. Katelyn conducted the interview. Our theme music is by John Batiste, and our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. Carlyle Calhoun is the executive producer. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We're part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Sea Change is also supported by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation. The Meraux Foundation and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

It's Thursday, and that means it's time for our week in politics with Stephanie Grace, the editorial director and columnist for the Times-Picayune/The Advocate. Today she breaks down a reignited feud between Mayor Cantrell and the city council, and discusses the latest entrant in the New Orleans mayoral race.If you've spent time in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, then you're probably familiar with Rosetree, a studio and store, where artist Mark Rosenbaum has been blowing glass for decades. He's created wine glasses, vases, bowls, commissions for corporations and presidents, and other colorful and delicate artwork. But after 40 years, he's hung up the blowpipe. We traveled to Rosetree Blown Glass Studio and Gallery to chat with Mark. He cleaned up the space, showed us some artwork and reflected on his career.For their series, “What Was Lost”, Verite News has been collecting audio stories from readers who lost a treasure or have a memory from Hurricane Katrina.  Today, we hear a story from Norris Cook, who remembers his grandfather's green skiff boat that washed away with the storm. And Bob Pavlovich remembers his grandfather's boat, lost to Hurricane Andrew decades earlier. ___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you!  Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!