Gulf States Gumbo

On this week’s episode, we look at how the Gulf States are responding to the halting of funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the federal government shutdown.

All three states have stepped up in various ways to help fill the gap: from city and state governments directing funds to food banks, to Louisiana and Alabama starting temporary programs to send aid directly to some SNAP and TANF recipients. 

This episode is hosted by Drew Hawkins. The podcast is produced by Stephan Bisaha, Kat Stromquist, Elise Gregg, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme. 

To get in touch with the team, email [email protected]. 

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.

Happy Halloween! 

On this week’s episode, we’re grabbing our mics and gathering around the campfire to find out which of our three states has the scariest stories. Three states, three reporters and three spooky tales. 

This episode is hosted by Ryan Vasquez. The podcast is produced by Elise Gregg, Kat Stromquist, Stephan Bisaha and Orlando Flores Jr. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme. 

Let us know who gave the best fright by sending us a message on Instagram or emailing us at [email protected]. 

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.

On this week’s episode, we’re talking tariffs and their impact on cars and religion. 

They raised the cost of preparations for Diwali. And at a speed dating event at the Southern Automotive Conference, they caused some foreign manufacturers to look more closely at American suppliers. 

This episode is hosted by Drew Hawkins. The podcast is produced by Elise Gregg, Kat Stromquist, Stephan Bisaha, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme. 

To get in touch with the team, email [email protected]. 

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.

On this week’s episode, Louisiana’s lieutenant governor wants to find out why Canadians haven't visited the state.

Also, sports and culture reporter Joseph King sat down with Hibbett Sports' vice president of marketing to learn more about a week of college basketball in a historic auditorium in Birmingham.

This episode is hosted by Joseph King, who is also our social producer. The podcast is produced by Stephan Bisaha, Kat Stromquist, Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Elise Gregg. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme. 

To get in touch with the team, email [email protected]. 

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.

On this week’s episode, we’re talking about jobs on their way to the Gulf South. 

Space Command is coming to Alabama and Hyundai is setting up in Louisiana. What’s not so clear, though, is who is going to get those jobs. 

We talk with economic mobility reporter Stephan Bisaha about why Americans are less likely to move for work these days, and what the Georgia battery plant immigration raid means for Hyundai’s Louisiana plans. 

This episode is hosted by Ryan Vasquez. The podcast is produced by Drew Hawkins, Kat Stromquist, Elise Gregg and Orlando Flores Jr. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme. 

To get in touch with the team, email [email protected]. 

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.

On this week’s episode, we’re taking a look at who can get a COVID-19 vaccine in the Gulf South. 

Public health reporter Drew Hawkins sorts through the confusion around conflicting guidance that is causing some pharmacies to make their own rules about who can get the shot — and how they can get it.

This episode is hosted by Kat Stromquist. The podcast is produced by Drew Hawkins, Stephan Bisaha, Elise Gregg and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme.

To get in touch with the team, email [email protected].

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.

On this week’s episode, we visit the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, the neighborhood still carries the scars of the storm — from empty lots to relentless heat. 

Public health reporter Drew Hawkins examines how rising temperatures are reshaping daily life for seniors in New Orleans — from sleepless nights to skyrocketing energy bills. 

WWNO and WRKF’s Coastal Desk reporter Eva Tesfaye brings us the story of an artist who fought to reclaim her family’s land and is now building something new: a garden rooted in both her Black and Indigenous ancestry. 

This episode is hosted by Orlando Flores Jr. The podcast is produced by Drew Hawkins, Stephan Bisaha, Kat Stromquist, and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme. 

To get in touch with the team, email [email protected]. 

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.

On this week's episode, we head down to coastal Mississippi. While Hurricane Katrina is largely associated with widespread flooding and displacement in New Orleans, it also devastated the Magnolia State, destroying thousands of homes and businesses. 

Gulfport, in the heart of Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, is home to a group of historic Black communities that found themselves at the center of it all. WWNO and WRKF’s Coastal Desk reporter Michael McEwen reports on the increased development that surrounds these historic communities — making them more vulnerable to flooding and future storms.

This episode is hosted by Drew Hawkins. The podcast is produced by Stephan Bisaha, Kat Stromquist, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer.  Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme.

To get in touch with the team, email [email protected].

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.

On this week's episode, we speak with WRKF reporter and Report for America corps member Alex Cox about a new immigration detention center at the notorious Louisiana State Penitentiary — better known as Angola — and how it fits into national trends. 

Public health reporter Drew Hawkins also speaks with Bobbi-Jeanne Misick of Verite News and criminal justice reporter Kat Stromquist about their recent investigation into the connection between traffic arrests and immigration enforcement in Kenner, Louisiana. 

This episode is hosted by senior reporter Stephan Bisaha. The podcast was written by Kat Stromquist and produced by Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is our audience engagement producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme. 

To get in touch with the team, email [email protected]. 

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.

On this week's episode, we dip into our well of stories marking the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the federal levee failures. 

Public health reporter Drew Hawkins explains how small, local publications helped salvage New Orleans' culture from the floodwaters, while sports and culture reporter Joseph King takes us to a musical hub formed after the storm.  

Plus, community engagement producer Nellie Beckett joins the show to discuss her work connecting people during this solemn anniversary. 

This episode is hosted and written by Kat Stromquist. The podcast was produced by Stephan Bisaha, Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is our audience engagement producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme. 

To get in touch with the team, email [email protected]. 

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.