From the Water Main at American Public Media, season 2 of the podcast In Deep takes listeners to Lake Charles, Louisiana to learn how residents are recovering from two hurricanes, an ice storm, and empty promises from the government. Investigative reporter for APM Reports and podcast host Lauren Rosenthal tells us more about those forced to rebuild and relocate, as well as the volunteers who do anything possible to keep their community afloat. Jazz lovers and photo enthusiasts can unite at the West Baton Rouge Museum where a collection of largely unseen photographs gives viewers a rare behind the scenes look at singer Billie Holiday. Museum executive director Angelique Bergeron tells us more about the exhibition, Billie Holiday at Sugar Hill: Photographs by Jerry Dantzic. But first, today is election day in Louisiana and across the country. WRKF’s Paul Braun joins us for last-minute voting information and the elections to watch out for. Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz. Our engineers are Garrett Pittman, Aubry Procell, and Thomas Walsh. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 pm. 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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mardi Gras 2022 is not just a special moment for the Krewe of Rex as it celebrates 150 years, but also a milestone for WYES-TV as it celebrates 25 years of providing live coverage of the Rex Ball. We learn more about the Rex Ball from executive producer and host, Peggy Scott Laborde.And while the reign of Rex might end at midnight, memories of the anniversary will last a little longer. We hear about a museum exhibit from the Historic New Orleans Collection that walks viewers through the krewe’s long history. Curatorial Cataloger at the Williams Research Center, Katherine Dunn, tells us more about the exhibition, “Fit for a King.” Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our producer is Alana Schreiber and our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz. Our engineers are Garrett Pittman, Aubrey Procell, and Thomas Walsh. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today on Louisiana Considered, we hear the second part of the latest episode of Sea Change: Redfish Blues. We learn the story of the red drum, better known as the classic redfish, and whether the decline of this fish is a warning of a bigger collapse.This episode was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization. This episode was reported and hosted by Boyce Upholt. Halle Parker introduces the show. The episode was edited by Carlyle Calhoun and Morgan Springer. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Emily Jankowski is our sound designer, and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production.To check out more of Boyce's work: Pick up a copy of his new book about the Mississippi River, coming out in June. It’s called The Great River. And, find other stories on his Substack called Southlands.Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.
It’s Thursday, which means it’s time to catch up on the week in politics with Stephanie Grace, editorial director and columnist of the Times Picayune/The Advocate.We’ll get the latest on the effort to hold a constitutional convention this summer, as well as the status of a few other pieces of legislation. Louisiana is getting very close to becoming the latest Republican-led state to approve education savings accounts, more commonly known as ESAs. The accounts give parents tax dollars to spend on private school tuition and other expenses. It’s Gov. Jeff Landry’s signature education proposal and he’s been pushing hard for it all session. Aubri Juhasz, WWNO/WRKF education reporter, joins the show with more on where the proposal stands. Hurricane season officially starts on June 1. We take a look at what state officials are doing ahead of a potential storm, and one local area’s efforts to make preparing for a hurricane a family affair.We begin with Jacques Thibodeaux, director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Corey Miller, community engagement director of the Pontchartrain Conservancy, also joins the show to discuss how residents can get ready for a major storm. ____Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. 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!
On May 29, Major League Baseball announced it’s officially changing some long-held records to include Negro League statistics. Josh Gibson, who played most notably for the Homestead Grays in a career that lasted from 1930-46, is now credited as having the highest career batting average. And Satchel Paige, former pitcher for the Birmingham Black Barons, takes the record for third lowest earned run average in a single season.While Birmingham is often remembered as one of the fiercest battlegrounds of the Civil Rights Movement, it's also a city where baseball was once king. Home to Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in the country, the city has seen segregated baseball, Negro League baseball, a women’s suffrage event, a Klan rally and eventually, the first integrated sports team in Alabama.On June 20, Major League Baseball will host a regular season game at Rickwood as part of continued efforts to honor Negro League history. In the lead-up, “Road to Rickwood” podcast host Roy Wood Jr. returns to his hometown of Birmingham to tell the story of this legendary ballpark. In the first episode, we learn how Rickwood uplifted Black and white communities from the beginning, while also enforcing segregation. ___This episode was written and produced by Ben Dickstein and hosted by Roy Wood Jr.Our executive producer is Alana Schreiber and our senior producer is Ben Dickstein. Our producers are Jonah Buchanan and AL.com’s Cody D. Short. Mixing and sound design by Joaquin Cotler and story editing by Ryan Vasquez. Artwork by Xavier Murillo. Original music composition by Squeak E. Clean Studios. Voice tracking by Alt Mix Studio.Special thanks to Paul Maassen, The Friends of Rickwood Field, Birmingham Public Library archives, AL.com and WBHM. For more stories on Rickwood Field, check out https://www.al.com/rickwood-field/This podcast is a production of WWNO and WRKF. It’s distributed by the NPR Network. Support comes from Major League Baseball, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Explore St. Louis.
Louisiana’s Northshore is home to roughly 264,570 people, but it’s never had a Pride parade — until now. This year, organizers are hosting the area’s first-ever parade to celebrate LGBTQ pride along Lakeshore Drive in Mandeville. Event organizers Mel Manuel and Jeremy JF Thompson tell us about the more than 200 floats and krewes set to walk, and what it means to celebrate pride during a time when LGBTQ rights are under threat.Taxis and rideshares are a vital part of New Orleans’ economy, but they’re not always accessible for people with disabilities. In fact, there’s only one wheelchair-accessible taxi driver in all of New Orleans. Chelsea Brasted recently reported on this for Axios New Orleans. She joins us for more on the impacts of limited accessible transportation in the city.Artist Matt Scobey is turning heads towards the sky with his latest installation of a towing figure at the Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition, presented by The Helis Foundation. Jessie Haynes, managing director of the foundation, joins us for more on the latest works of art.___Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. 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 12 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!
Gov. Jeff Landry signed a first-of-its-kind law Friday that designates common pregnancy medications as “controlled dangerous substances” in Louisiana. The law easily passed the legislature last week and takes effect October 1. Reproductive health reporter Rosemary Westwood tells us why hundreds of local physicians have argued that the law could endanger women’s health. The Louisiana Supreme Court recently struck down a 3-year “look-back window” for sexual abuse survivors to file legal claims. Sophie Hayssen is a reporter and fellow at Mother Jones covering the ruling. She tells us why some abuse survivors are devastated by the ruling.For the first time in more than two centuries, two broods of periodic cicadas are expected to emerge from the ground at the same time. Brood XIX is on a 13-year cycle, while Brood XIII is on a 17-year cycle. The last time they lined up was 1803. But scientists have noted the last time Brood XIX emerged in 2011, there were no recorded sightings in Louisiana, meaning it could be extinct in the region. Aaron Ashbrook, an assistant professor at LSU's Entomology Department, joins us to explain what this all means. ___Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. 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 12 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 red drum, more commonly known as the classic redfish, is a popular fish in the region. But now, the population is starting to decline. What does it say about a bigger collapse of similar species? Boyce Upholt, a reporter for the Food & Environment Reporting Network based in New Orleans, tells us about the rise and fall of this famous fish on the first part of the latest episode of Sea Change. Black baseball history runs deep in the South, and New Orleans fielded plenty of talented teams, including New Orleans Black Pelicans, Crescent City Stars and Armstrong Secret 9. But the stories of some of the most talented Black athletes to come out of the city have been lost to time. This includes Johnny Wright, a player in the Negro Leagues Brooklyn Dodgers just months after Jackie Robinson, who almost became the first Black pitcher in the Major Leagues. Back in October, we spoke with Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro League Baseball Museum, about Wright and his legacy. Today, we give that story a second listen.And before we go, next Wednesday we are airing the first episode of our new podcast, Road to Rickwood. Hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr., and executive produced by Alana Schreiber, the podcast looks at the history of Rickwood Field in Birmingham Alabama —the oldest baseball stadium in the country — and how that one venue touched multiple historic events throughout the 20th century. Today, we get a sneak peek of the podcast. Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. 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!
Don Marshall, executive director of Jazz Fest, is officially retiring after 20 years. Throughout his time, he’s weathered Hurricane Katrina and COVID while also bringing the festival to financial solvency. He joins us today to reflect on 20 years of Jazz Fest memories, and how the festival created opportunities to promote New Orleans’ unique musical culture and traditions. Gov. Jeff Landry is facing resistance as he pushes his agenda — and some of it’s coming from inside the state’s Republican party. The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace, tells us why some Republicans are creating roadblocks for the governor. Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered is hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. 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!
College graduations across the country have been disrupted this month as students continue to protest Israel’s war in Gaza. Xavier University of Louisiana canceled its commencement speaker, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, after nearly 1,800 people signed a petition asking she be removed. Tulane University, the site of a recent pro-Palestinian encampment, has upped security measures for its graduation this Saturday. To get a sense of how students are feeling, Aubri Juhasz, WWNO and WRKF’s education reporter, spoke with a senior at Tulane about her experience as a student and reporter for the school’s newspaper, The Hullabaloo. Your local public library is likely getting a new card system for younger readers this summer. A new law requires public libraries across Louisiana to get parents’ consent for minors to access “sexually explicit materials.” That means many libraries are rolling out more limits on what kids can and can’t access.To help us understand the coming changes, we’re joined by Lynette Mejia, director of Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship. It’s a grassroots group that has worked to keep information open and accessible in Louisiana’s public libraries. Southern coastal communities are seeing some of the world’s fastest rates of sea level rise. That’s affecting all aspects of life for those who live there. The Washington Post has spent months investigating the impacts. Eva Tesfaye, reporter on WWNO/WRKF’s Coastal Desk, recently spoke with Chris Mooney and Brady Dennis, two reporters behind the paper’s new series, The Drowning South, about their findings. You can hear more from Eva’s conversation on Sea Change. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. ___Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Matt Bloom. 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 12 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, which means it’s time for our look at the week in politics. Stephanie Grace, the Times Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, breaks down the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Louisiana’s new congressional map. The decision means the state’s second majority-Black congressional district will stand for this year’s election.This June, Major League Baseball will host a regular season game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama as a tribute to Negro League Baseball History. Rickwood Field also happens to more than 100 years old. It’s served not only as a venue for America’s pastime, but also for the civil rights movement.For the past few months, Alana Schreiber, Louisiana Considered’s managing producer, has been in and out of Birmingham, working on an exciting upcoming podcast about the history and legacy of this ballfield. She joins the show to share more about the Road to Rickwood.The Mississippi River is a defining part of the landscape of Louisiana, and the entire country. Its watershed drains more than a million square miles of the continental United States each year. But how much do you know about its history? Our next guest has spent years researching the river and the U.S. government’s continued quest to control its flow. Boyce Upholt is a journalist and author of the new book, “The Great River, The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi.” He joins us to share more about the river’s history. _____Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. 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!
May is National Bike Month, and we’re dedicating Wednesday’s show to the topic of bike infrastructure in Southern Louisiana. Baton Rouge and New Orleans have been rated as some of the most dangerous places for cyclists in the country. An analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ranks East Baton Rouge Parish the fourth-most dangerous place to cycle in the United States. New Orleans is the sixth-most. We’ll talk with two people advocating for bicycle riding and bicyclists in Baton Rouge and in New Orleans. We’ll talk with a former city planner in Lafayette. And we’ll also hear about how the decisions surrounding how we build our cities affect how easy it is to walk and bike. We’re joined by Mark Martin, chair of the Complete Streets advisory committee of the City-Parish of East Baton Rouge; Allene La Spina, executive director of Bike Easy in New Orleans; and Carlee Alm-LaBar, chief of staff based in Lafayette for Strong Towns, a national organization that addresses urban development and city planning practices. _____ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. 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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hundreds of doctors across Louisiana are asking lawmakers not to pass a bill that would make abortion medications controlled substances in Louisiana. They've signed an opposition letter to Republican state Senator Thomas Pressly, the bill's main sponsor. Reporter Rosemary Westwood joins the show to update us on the proposal and opposition to it. Nearly half the natural gas pulled out of the ground in the U.S. gets exported overseas, and that number could get even higher over the next decade. A new report out of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice criticizes federal regulators for allowing the rapid growth of the industry without scrutinizing the impact to historically marginalized communities nearby nor its contribution to climate change. Halle Parker spoke with the report’s authors and she joins the show to discuss their findings. Music, food and art will bring crowds of revelers to Bayou St. John in New Orleans this weekend as the 2024 Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo kicks off. The festival, which takes place on the bayou and its banks, is presented by the Friends of Bayou St. John. Jared Zeller, founder, and president of Friends of Bayou St. John and executive producer of Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo joins the show to talk about what’s new at the festival this year. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. 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 12 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! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Gov. Jeff Landry signed a package of bills last week that will deregulate Louisiana’s insurance market. They’re part of Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple’s plan to address the state’s ongoing insurance crisis, he says by making Louisiana a more attractive place for insurers to do business. Critics say the policies weaken consumer protections and will increase rates. Sam Karlin, reporter with the Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, joins the show with a look at these new laws and the controversy. Carbon dioxide leaks are a growing concern across Louisiana. Energy companies here are quickly building out a new network of pipelines for carbon capture projects. Leaks from the pipelines are harmless when small. But in large doses, the colorless, odorless gas can cause drowsiness, suffocation and even death. Tristan Baurick, reporter for Vertie News, investigated a big leak that happened recently in the southwest Louisiana town of Sulfur in Calcasieu Parish. He joins the show to share more about what he found. The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge has a new leader. Jonathan Grimes has served as interim president and CEO since the January retirement of Renée Chatelain. Grimes will be formally introduced as the council's permanent head at their annual meeting this Thursday. He joins the show today to talk about what’s happening in Baton Rouge’s art scene and his vision for the community is moving forward. Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. 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 12 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 ourpitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out ourlistener 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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We’re dedicating today’s show to a special conversation about the expansion of liquefied natural gas. Sea Change hosts Halle Parker and Carlyle Calhoun sit down with grassroots leaders from across the world to discuss the industry’s local and worldwide impacts. Andy Gheorghiu, an independent campaigner from Germany; Hiroki Osada a development finance and environment campaigner for Friends of Earth Japan from Japan; and James Hiatt, founder of For A Better Bayou in Lake Charles, Louisiana, join the show to share more about their work and research on the LNG industry. __ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Ryan Vasquez. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. 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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for our look at the week in politics. Joining us is Stephanie Grace, the Times Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist. This week, we’re discussing the latest news in the legal saga around Louisiana’s new congressional district map. We’ll also get an update on Gov. Jeff Landry’s efforts to hold a constitutional convention this summer. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students’ rights are at the center of another clash between Landry’s administration and President Biden. Late last month, the state’s Republican attorney general, Liz Murrill, sued the federal government alongside several other Republican-led states over changes to Title IX. The 1972 law prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. And protections now explicitly apply to LGBTQ students. Louisiana’s top education official Cade Brumley called the new rules “radical” and has told school districts to not follow them. To help us get up to speed, we’re joined by Aubri Juhasz, WWNO/WRKF’s education reporter. The French Quarter in 1920’s New Orleans was part slum, part tourist trap, and part incubator. It was a time of rebellion and freedom, of prohibition and free-flowing alcohol. One informal group of residents and friends at that time included William Faulkner, Sherwood Anderson, and Caroline Durieux. Among them was Genevieve Pitot, a young pianist, trained in Paris, and described by one group member as crazy as could be. Pitot was a piano prodigy whose travels also took her to New York where she worked with some of the formative choreographers of the early 20th Century, the Federal Dance Project of the Great Depression, and then Broadway. Denise Tullier-Smith, Pitot’s niece, joins the show to preview her upcoming lecture about the pianist at the Pitot House in New Orleans. _____ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. 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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Louisiana’s death penalty law got a big rewrite earlier this year as part of the state’s special session. Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill that adds electrocution and nitrogen hypoxia to the list of state-approved methods for carrying out capital punishment. Now, the latter method is getting some pushback late in the legislative session. Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers are hoping to remove the use of nitrogen gas as an execution method. Notable supporters include some prominent leaders in Louisiana’s Jewish community. Sara Lewis is chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, and she is on the steering committee for Jews Against Gassing. She joined the show to discuss her group’s efforts. Alternative funding plans, or AFPs, are a growing tool used by health insurance coverage providers nationwide. The plans have been causing some consternation for policyholders who thought they were covered by their health insurance, but discovered they weren’t for certain chronic health conditions. Ashley Castello is executive director of the Louisiana Hemophilia Foundation, and she joined the show to share more about AFPs and how they can impact you. A national nonprofit has filed a lawsuit against the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services on behalf of 4,000 foster children in the state. It claims the state’s child welfare system is failing its most vulnerable children. Alleged failures include too few social workers and placements for children. To tell us more about the situation, including what the lawsuit claims and how DCFS is responding we heard from Andrea Gallo, a reporter with The Advocate/Times Picayune who has been covering the story. Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. 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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Extremely active. Those are the words used by scientists to describe forecasts for the 2024 hurricane season. Researchers at Colorado State University estimate that this year’s Atlantic season could see 23 named storms, the highest on record. Other forecasts also predict high numbers of storms. To help us better understand why forecasts are so high, we’re joined by Jay Grymes, Louisiana’s interim state climatologist and meteorologist at WAFB in Baton Rouge. Climate change is affecting all of our lives, but it’s also affecting the dead. Louisiana has been dealing with flooded cemeteries and caskets washing away for decades. But the problem is only getting worse and more widespread. Many other states are now grappling with hurricanes, flooding, mudslides and other natural disasters that are destroying cemeteries. And some are looking to Louisiana for help. Eva Tesfaye, reporter with the Coastal Desk reports in collaboration with Science Friday. New Orleans Ballet Theatre presents a world premiere of Dracula as it closes its 2024 season. This new ballet, a reimagined presentation inspired by Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale, is a dance created by resident choreographer Oliver Halkowich who joins the show to discuss the performance. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Matt Bloom. 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 12 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! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A federal court has thrown out Louisiana’s new congressional district map. Judges ruled last week in favor of a complaint that stated the 6th District was drawn with the racial makeup of voters as the main motivator. The district was set to become the state’s second majority-Black district. To help us understand the ruling and what happens next, we’re joined by Piper Hutchinson, a reporter with the Louisiana Illuminator. NPR’s Tiny Desk has a new series host and producer, Bobby Carter. A St. Louis native, Carter’s public radio journey started in the South at Jackson State University. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Maya Miller recently sat down with Carter to talk about bridging the gap between music and news and his advice for young people hoping to become journalists. Louisiana has been dubbed the "sportsman's paradise" for its regions that present world class hunting and fishing. A new state website hopes to also brand it as a paradise for bird watchers. The state is located along one of the primary migration routes in North America, the Mississippi Flyway, and offers opportunities to see over 470 unique species. For more insight, we’re joined by David Booth, president of the Louisiana Ornithological Society. __ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Matt Bloom. 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 12 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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s Thursday, which means it’s time to catch up on the week in politics with Stephanie Grace, editorial director and columnist with the Times Picayune/The Advocate. This week, we’ll be discussing the status of a potential constitutional convention in Baton Rouge this summer. Protests against Israel’s war in Gaza continued this week on many college campuses, including some in South Louisiana. Tulane University closed parts of campus and suspended several students after demonstrators set up an encampment on Monday. Protests off campuses have been happening, too. New Orleans police arrested multiple people in Jackson Square when they refused to leave the park after hours. Drew Hawkins, reporter for the Gulf States Newsroom, and Matt Bloom, producer with Louisiana Considered, discuss their coverage. Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans and Ochsner Health announced earlier this week that they will create the first historically Black college and university medical school in the Gulf South. Reynold Verret, president of Xavier, joins the show to share more about the plan. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. 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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.