It’s been a day and a half since a driver rammed down Bourbon Street just after 3 a.m., killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 30 others, including two police officers. The suspect has been identified as Texas man Shamsud-Din Jabbar. He was killed by police. An ISIS flag was found on the vehicle and the FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism.

Reporters Drew Hawkins and Kat Stromquist have been covering this story. They give us the latest on the investigation, the victims and the community response. 

Yesterday’s attack on Bourbon Street has generated a nationwide response and local leaders are working to heal a community in mourning. Former mayor and president of the National Urban League Marc Morial tells us more about how the community can come together and work towards recovery.

But while the city works to process the event, security remains a top concern, especially with the Super Bowl coming to New Orleans in February. WWNO and WRFK’s news director Ryan Vasquez spoke with the U.S. Representative, Troy Carter (D-LA) for more on the investigation and security concerns. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. We get production help 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!

It’s the second to last Monday of the month, and we’re checking in with our neighbors in Lafayette and get an update on the latest news in Acadiana. Christiaan Mader, founder of the Current, tells us about an upcoming special election in Lafayette, and a new Buccee’s coming to the area.

The Louisiana Department of Health’s new policy stops staff from advertising or otherwise promoting the COVID, influenza or monkeypox vaccines. Promoting vaccines is a long established practice at the health department, as well as other state health entities, and Louisiana isn’t the only state where vaccine science is under threat. 

WWNO and WRKF’s Rosemary Westwood broke the story. She tells us why this new policy is concerning health officials and could spread vaccine skepticism. 

After the Civil War, many former slaves  left the South in search of better opportunities – otherwise known as the Great Migration. But there were those who stayed behind. And in West Feliciana Parish, formerly enslaved people achieved great successes in the post-war era, rising to a new level of prosperity not seen in many of Louisiana’s Black communities.

Louisiana Public Broadcasting senior producer Dorothy Kendrick’s new documentary film, “How We Got Over.” tells the story of this parish and how its Black residents rose to acclaim. She joins us with the details.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. 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 Lemon Tree Mound is a sacred place for the Atakapa/Ishak-Chawasha tribe. And it's disappearing under the rising waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In this episode, we travel out into the bayous of South Louisiana to understand what this one small sacred place means for the Land Back Movement and climate justice, and why efforts to save our coast matter, even if they really mean only buying time.

Click here to read more about the return of the sacred land to the tribe, and here to learn more about the efforts to save it.

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This episode was hosted and reported by Eva Tesfaye, Drew Hawkins, and Danny McArthur. Carlyle Calhoun is the managing producer. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste.

Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We're a 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. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

Earlier this year, the 10-parish regional economic development nonprofit, GNO, Inc. celebrated its 20th anniversary. The organization has been working to make the area more attractive to businesses. President and CEO Michael Hecht tells us more about what the group has accomplished over the last two decades.

Throughout the summer and fall, Elias Camacho, founder of the media company, The Rambler, traveled throughout the New Orleans area, interviewing some of the city’s favorite artists, chefs, culture bearers and all-around icons. His documentary series, “NOLA in Focus,”highlights the individuals and communities that make this city so unique. 

Elias joined WWNO’s Alana Schreiber in the studio to share more about this project. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. 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, 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!

If you’re a homeowner, you’re probably already familiar with the conditions imposed on insurance deductibles when disaster strikes. Cities and towns also have insurance for their losses when the weather gets destructive.

Now, mayors along the Mississippi River are piloting a new insurance experiment to better help communities recover after disasters.

Delaney Dryfoos, environmental reporter for the Lens Nola, has been covering this story for the Mississippi River Basin Ag and Water Desk and joins us for more.

This was a busy year in politics – yes we had the presidential election, but Louisiana had some pretty noteworthy political happenings as well. Gov. Jeff Landry and lawmakers overhauled the state's tax code, and Republican Sid Edwards was elected to be the next mayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish,  ending a 20-year streak for Democrats. 

Yesterday, we brought you Part 1 of Capitol Access reporter Brooke Thorington’s “politics year in review” with LSU political science professor Robert Hogan. Today we hear the second part, and discuss what's on the horizon for future office seekers in Louisiana.

Guaranteed income is the idea that to help some people in need, governments should give them cash, no strings attached. It’s long been a pipe dream for many welfare reformers. And in recent years, that dream has been given test runs in cities across the U.S. and here in the South.

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Stephan Bisaha and WWNO’s Aubri Juhasz have been covering the movement. They caught up to discuss how these recent pilots went.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. 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!

Grammy-award winning Cajun fiddler Louis Michot is headed to New Orleans for a solo performance. The member of the Lost Bayou Ramblers will combine his love of Louisiana French music with new boundary-pushing sounds in his latest work, Rêve du Troubadour . 

He joins us for more on his upcoming performance and adding a modern spin to traditional Cajun music.

2024 was a memorable year for politics, nationally and locally. WRKF’s Capitol Access Reporter Brooke Thorington spoke with LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Robert Hogan about Gov. Jeff Landry’s first year in office, the upcoming transition of closed primaries and how the 6th Congressional District will affect the state.

The holiday season is upon us, and it feels like everywhere you go, you’re surrounded by Christmas music. But in recent years, musicians have found creative ways to adapt these traditional songs for new genres.

Yesterday, we brought you the sounds of country artist Sammy Kershaw’s Cajun Christmas. Today, we’ll hear how the New Birth Brass Band is mixing Christmas classics with New Orleans jazz and funk for a lively march-along. 

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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 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!

A second group of Baton Rouge-area school bus workers, this time in Zachary, recently voted to join a union. 

They include bus drivers, mechanics and other student transportation workers employed by one of the nation’s largest student transportation companies.

The union, a local chapter of Amalgamated Transit Union, already represents some other local public transit workers.

Charles Lussier, an education reporter for The Advocate, tells us what these workers are fighting for. 

A new podcast out of Fletcher Technical Community College, in Terrebonne Parish, dives into the heart of the Bayou Region. Dubbed “Bridging the Bayou,” the series highlights the people, industries and community efforts driving growth and transformation in South Louisiana.

Podcast host and chancellor at Fletcher Community College, Kristine Strickland, joins us for more on the show and its mission.

The holiday season is upon us, and it feels like everywhere you go, there’s Christmas music. And in recent years, musicians have found creative ways to adapt these traditional songs for new genres.

Back in 2012, NPR’s David Greene spoke with country musician Sammy Kershaw, about his Cajun-inspired Christmas album.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. 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, 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!

Earlier this week, a nonprofit watchdog filed a complaint asking Louisiana’s Attorney General to investigate whether a crisis pregnancy center in New Iberia broke state law. The pregnancy center allegedly posted clients’ personal information online, despite claiming that it follows federal health privacy laws.

WWNO/WRKF broke the story, and reporter Rosemary Westwood joins us for more.

About half of jobs in New Orleans are considered “mid-skill.” That means you need a high school degree, but probably not a bachelor’s. It’s good news for teenagers who don’t want to go to college, or who are ready to just start working. 

Education reporter Aubri Juhasz visits a career center that’s preparing kids for all kinds of jobs that don’t require college education. 

The Upstairs Lounge fire in New Orleans in 1973 remains one of the country’s deadliest attacks on the LGBTQ community. In the decades since, a bronze plaque in the French Quarter has listed the 32 victims who died when an arsonist set fire to the neighborhood gay bar.

But earlier this year, that plaque was stolen. A New Orleans man has been caught and arrested. But the original marker remains missing.

Now a group of local activists is working to get a new memorial installed at the Upstairs Lounge site. WWNO and WRKF’s Matt Bloom spoke with Frank Perez, one of their leaders. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. 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 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!

It’s Thursday and that means it’s time to catch up on politics with The Times Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. Today on @LAConsidered, we break down the upset in the Baton Rouge mayor-president race, and why a parish that went blue in November elected a Republican one month later.

The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) is gearing up for a star-studded milestone celebration, the 20th annual “Home for the Holidays” Concert. The event features artists like Irma Thomas, Kermit Ruffins and the Rebirth Brass Band, and raises money to support rising artists with scholarships. 

Adonis Rose, Grammy award-winning musician and executive director of NOCCA, joins us with the details.

The Xavier University of Louisiana has been mourning the loss of one of their greatest pioneers, Dr. J. W. Carmichael. Having worked at Xavier for over four decades, primarily as a pre-med advisor for undergraduates, Carmichael is largely credited with putting the school’s medical program on the map.

WWNO’s Bob Pavlovich spoke with Quo Vadis Webster, director of Xavier’s pre-med program, to learn more about Camichael’s life and legacy. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. 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 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!

Sea levels are rising across the country, and different areas are coming up with creative solutions to address the issue. 

Last week, we brought you the first part of the latest episode of Sea Change, where we learned how eastern and western cities are grappling with the issue. Today, in part two of the episode, we travel to the Gulf South to see how residents are gearing up for rising waters.

In New Orleans, a Gentilly hairstylist and political newcomer, Gabriela Biro, is running against Eric “Doc” Jones, longtime education consultant, for an open seat on the city’s school board. 

Education reporter Aubri Juhasz spoke with Biro about her decision to run and changes she wants to make to the school system. Jones was invited to participate in the interview, but didn’t respond to multiple requests.

And Safura Syed of Verite News joins the show to discuss her reporting looking at discrepancies in Jones’ resume. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. 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 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!