Louisiana Considered

In this three-part series, we’re giving some of the most misunderstood characters on the periodic table a fuller story. We dive into the fascinating double lives of these elements that are both the makers and unmakers of our world.

In part one, reporter Olga Loginova travels to Cape Cod to meet nitrogen. In this episode: we trudge through the marsh, avoid great white sharks, and find out how we harnessed the power of nitrogen, why that power turned against us, and what we can do about it.

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This episode was hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and Olga Loginova. Olga also reported the story. This story was edited by Jack Rodolico. Editing help from me, Eve Abrams, and Michael McEwan. The episode was fact-checked by Philip Kiefer. Sound design by Dennis Funk, and our theme music is by John Batiste. I'm the executive producer. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We're a part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. And to help others find our podcast, hit subscribe 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. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. We'll be back with another element in two weeks.

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to talk politics with The Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s Stephanie Grace. Today, we preview the upcoming elections for Public Service Commission and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. 

 Many South Louisianans awoke early Thursday morning to the sound of  loud claps of thunder and pouring rain. The remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur drenched the region throughout the day. The storm is now headed out of our region.

Meteorologist Dan Holiday joins us to cover storm damage and what to expect in the coming days.

The return of the University of New Orleans to the LSU system has inspired nostalgia among alumni, as well as former and current faculty and staff.

UNO Doctoral Researcher of Justice Studies, Amanda Mester-Brown, is asking the questions: Who gets to define a university’s story? What does it mean for an institution to remember certain parts of its past while minimizing others? And how is that changed when community memory is invited into the storytelling.

Mester-Brown invited all UNO current and former students, faculty and staff to share their stories in the UNO Community Memory Project. She joins us to share more.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. 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 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 Baton Rouge voters head to the polls later this month, they’ll have the opportunity to decide on the fate of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library’s funding. The library is asking voters to approve its dedicated property tax. 

Report for America corps member Alex Cox joins us for more on this story, and why the fate of the library is continually on the Baton Rouge ballot.

Louisiana is among at least eight states that give federal funds to anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers.

The Department of Children and Family Services spent over $2 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding or on centers that discourage its patients from seeking abortions.

Stateline reporter Kelcie Moseley-Morris joins us with the details. 

The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities recently released a landmark study demonstrating the measurable impact its Prime Time Preschool Literacy program has on learning and school-readiness.

LEH spearheaded the program a little over three decades ago, and since then, the program has been used as a model that has been repeated in states nationwide.

Sarah Withers, vice president of education programs for the LEH, joins us for more. 

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 driverless car company Waymo announced plans to expand in New Orleans last year. But so far, all of the cars have human drivers, so they aren’t currently autonomous. 

The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s Blake Paterson tells us why the cars are not yet autonomous, and when that process might begin.

June is Pride Month, and on Louisiana Considered, we are looking back at some of the state’s key players in the LGBTQ rights movement. One of those figures is Stormé DeLarverie, a New Orleans-born activist and drag king performer often credited with playing a pivotal role in the events that led to the Stonewall uprising.

Kyle DeVries, board president of the New Orleans Pride Center, tells us more about DeLarverie’s life and legacy, and how her activism inspires the queer youth today.

Murder, celebrity, scandal, and all that jazz. Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane is bringing the Broadway smash ‘Chicago’ to New Orleans June 18-21. The production reimagines the iconic musical that has become the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. 

Director Jaune Buisson and the actress playing Velma Kelly, Chase Kamata, tell us more about this upcoming performance.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Sara Henegan. 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!

A second New Orleans district judge has recused himself from presiding over the case of former Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, who was accused of misconduct in a bombshell indictment unleashed days before she was set to leave office. Matt Bruce has been reporting on this for The Times-Picayune | The Advocate. He joins us for more.

The nonprofit organization 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge is celebrating the success of its flagship mentorship program, “Project Excel,” which mentors Black boys in grades 6 through 12 and helps them develop essential life skills and improve academic performance. To learn more about the program, we’re joined by Michael Victorian, president-elect of 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge, as well as Sumiyah Landry and her son, Lester, who is enrolled in the program.

Juneteenth is this Friday, and the Southwest Louisiana Juneteenth Committee will host several events this weekend celebrating Black culture and commemorating the end of American chattel slavery. Abram Freeman, the committee’s founder, tells us more about the meaning of Juneteenth and how it’s celebrated.

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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!

Earlier this month, the organizations EverythingALS and Vision 2030 announced a partnership with the Allen Institute to accelerate research into the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS. The disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition where patients lose the ability to walk, use their hands, talk and eventually breathe. But the new investment will be geared towards finding using AI-powered technology to look for a cure at the cellular level. 

Tech entrepreneur and founder of EverythingALS, Indu Navar, and ALS patient living in Covington, Louisiana, Tim Fulham, join us for more on their journeys with the disease and ongoing research. 

Over the last two weeks, we’ve brought you parts one and two of the latest episode of Sea Change: Losing Paradise. In each episode, we learned about the ongoing battle between fisherman and oil companies over the rights to drowned land. 

This fight is playing out on land, sea and in the courtroom. But is there a way out of this deadlock that won’t take decades of case-by-case lawsuits?

LSU Law School professor John Lovett has been studying this issue for years. He spoke with the host of Sea Change, Carlyle Calhoun, about what believes might be a solution to the long simmering battle. 

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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 talk politics with The Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s Stephanie Grace. Today, we hear why New Orleans is gaining access to unspent Katrina money from FEMA. We also learn about Mayor Moreno’s recent win: bringing the Sewerage and Water Board under more city control. 

A sports medicine physician has opened one of the world’s first clinics and treatment centers specifically for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome at the Fascia Institute. Also known as EDS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome affects the body’s connective tissues, often categorized by loose skin, unstable joints and hypermobility.

The doctor at the helm of the new clinic, Dr. Jacques Courseault, tells us more about the condition, why it often goes undiagnosed and how to treat it.

The new documentary “GASLIT” explores how communities along the Gulf Coast are impacted by liquified natural gas export terminals. Academy Award winner and activist Jane Fonda travelled throughout Texas and Louisiana, meeting and talking with the various people who have concerns about the expansion of the industry. She met with shrimpers, cattle farm workers, former oil workers and “reluctant activists” to learn how they are banding together to protect the coastlines. 

The film’s director, Katie Camosy, joins us with more.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. 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 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 U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais has set off a wave of redistricting across the Gulf South.

Elise Gregg from the Gulf States Newsroom reports on how smaller communities in the South are being affected by new state voting maps that mostly favor Republican candidates.

Student researchers at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette have made a finding that could change the way scientists interpret information about climate change in both the fossil record as well as the modern ecosystem. And they made that discovery simply using oak leaves collected from the university’s campus.

Dr. Brian Schubert, professor and director of environmental science at the School of Geosciences at UL Lafayette, along with his recently-graduated student, Clinton Vincent, tell us more.

LSU Health New Orleans is one of four medical programs in the state and 50 in the nation taking part in a federal program to promote nutrition education among medical students. Its purpose is to make sure participating schools add a 40-hour program in nutrition.

Dr. Robin English, associate dean for undergraduate medical education, LSU Health New Orleans, joins us for more. 

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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!

A New Orleans immigration court is set to increase the number of hearings judges oversee each day dramatically. This is due to the Trump administration’s push to accelerate deportation decisions. 

Bobbi Jeanne Misick has been covering this for Verite News. She joins us for more on the so-called “mega” hearings. 

The André Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice, located on historic Bayou Road in New Orleans, is gearing up for some exciting summer projects. Named for Civil War hero and freedom fighter André Cailloux, the center serves as a multidisciplinary arts and cultural hub dedicated to promoting justice, community engagement and economic opportunities for Black artists and cultural organizations. 

Lauren Turner Hines is the founding envisionist and executive lead of the center. She tells us more about the organization’s founding and current initiatives. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Sara Henegan. 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!

In May, University of New Orleans president Kathy Johnson announced she will be leaving her position at the end of June. This comes after she helped the university navigate its financial crisis and return to the LSU system. She’s accepted a role as the executive vice president and provost of Saint Louis University. 

WWNO and WRKF education reporter Aubri Juhasz tells us what this means for the institution.

Baton Rouge’s district attorney is scrutinizing companies that monitor ankle devices used by courts and law enforcement agencies to track offenders, after a local rapper was able to perform at a concert in New York City without officials knowing.

District Attorney Hilliar Moore learned through social media that Austin Jackson, who goes by the name “BBE AJ," had violated his bond agreement.

Quinn Coffman, reporter for the Baton Rouge Advocate, tells us more about Moore’s investigation into these ankle device monitoring companies.  

Louisiana artist and scholar Jermaine Butler is releasing “Lalézon,” believed to be the first rap extended playlist recording entirely in Louisiana Creole, also known as Kouri-Vini. This project brings Kouri-Vini into contemporary hip hop and helps promote what is often considered a critically endangered language. 

Jermaine Butler joins with for more.

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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!