Louisiana Considered

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. We discuss Governor Landry’s recent trip to Greenland and his less than warm welcome. We also hear what Senator Bill Cassidy has been up to in Congress following his primary defeat.

Youth sports continue to face a shortage of referees. Football typically has the greatest need. Low pay combined with often unpleasant interactions with parents is keeping potential officials – particularly young people – at bay.

Some states are enacting tougher laws to combat not just the harassment, but also the physical violence that has affected referees in the past.

Eddie Allemore, New Orleans Regional Coordinator of Officials with the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, tells us more about the shortage issue and potential solutions.

Summer is on its way. In Louisiana, that means the start of hurricane season. Many Louisianans plan their potential evacuations, and have to decide what to take and what to leave. But how do we ensure that the possessions we leave behind don’t get damaged? 

Nayla Maaruf, is a member of the American Institute for Conservation working for the New Orleans Museum of Art. She joins us now with more on how to protect our artwork and photographs from storm damage.

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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!

It’s the time of year when all eyes are on LSU Baseball, a team that’s won two College World Series championships in the last three years. 

But this year, it’s LSU softball that’s grabbing the spotlight, as the team heads to the Super Regional where they’ll aim to punch a ticket to the Women’s College World Series.

Scott Rabalais has been covering the team for The Times-Picayune/The Advocate and joins us now for more.

Recent financial data shows about 37% of Americans currently have less than $500 dollars in cash savings, a situation particularly critical for people with the lowest income levels or with children.

Mint To Prosper Foundation is an organization that seeks to address financial issues that disproportionately affect disadvantaged populations. They offer a program that helps underserved families develop those essential savings to help with emergency expenses. They also run a free 10-week savings program for families in Baton Rouge called the Conqueror Community Savings Program. 

Executive Director Nesha Brown joins us for more. 

The Louisiana Children’s Museum is addressing what it sees as a critical stage in early childhood development. “The First 1,000 Days Program” is designed to give parents tools to support their new child’s social-emotional, cognitive and physical development. And they’re recruiting a new cohort for that program.

Early learning director Terri Baquet joins us with 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!

Roughly two weeks ago, the New Orleans-based U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling to ban the distribution of Mifepristone — one of two widely used drugs used for medication abortion — following telehealth appointments. 

The Supreme Court issued a temporary stay of the ruling before releasing a new decision to keep Mifepristone available while the case proceeds in lower courts. 

Rosemary Westwood, a New York Times fellow and former WWNO and WRKF public health reporter, joins us with the latest.

East Baton Rouge city-parish employees are set to receive an across-the-board raise. Many will see at least a 3.5% increase in their paycheck starting in July. The goal is to bring parish employees above the poverty line as much as possible. 

Before this raise, the lowest-paid worker roughly made $10.54 per hour. Now, that rate sits at roughly $12.53 per hour. 

WRKF’s Report for America Corps member Alex Cox tells us more.

Since opening in 2018, Hotel Hope in New Orleans has served as a safe space for hundreds of mothers and children in need of shelter. The nonprofit provides food, clothing and case management services to assist families in need of support. It also helps them find permanent housing. 

Last week, Hotel Hope held a ceremonial groundbreaking on its new affordable housing units. 

One of the organization’s biggest champions is Sister Mary Lou Specha, a nun who serves as executive director. She joins us now for more about Hotel Hope, alongside Oji Alexander, the chief executive officer of People’s Housing Plus, the developer behind the new units.

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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!

Saturday’s election results came as a shock to some amid rumors of voter discrepancies in the closed primaries. Some analysts view the results as a major pushback against Gov. Jeff Landry, whose five amendments were all rejected. 

Capitol Access reporter Brooke Thorington joins us with more.

In the Spring of 1960, Black residents boycotted stores along one of New Orleans’ busiest shopping stretches to send a message. They refused to shop at businesses on Dryades Street that took Black dollars but refused to hire Black workers.

This story from the local Civil Rights Movement is recounted as part of the Historic New Orleans Collection exhibition, “The Trail They Blazed.” Exhibit curator Eric Seiferth joins us for more.

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, the Smithsonian is collaborating with 40 festivals across the country between March and November that highlight different U.S. subcultures on how they celebrate community, cultural exchange and civic engagement.

One of the featured festivals will be Louisiana’s very own Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, which returns this October 9-11. 

To tell us more about the Smithsonian’s involvement is Cajun folklorist and founder of Festival Acadiens, Barry Ancelet, and Pat Mould, famed Cajun and Creole chef and the vice president of programming for the festival.

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!

Nicholas Lemann, author, longtime New Yorker writer and professor at Columbia University, is out with a new book,  “Returning: A Search for Home Across the Centuries.” The book serves as both a memoir of his own reform Jewish childhood in New Orleans and a wider examination of Jewish assimilation in the American South. 

His New Yorker article, "A Childhood in Jewish New Orleans," a preview of the book, was released earlier this year. 

Nicholas Lemann joins us with more on his research, and what his book reveals about a forgotten subsect of American Jewish culture. 

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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!

Statewide elections are approaching this Saturday, but there’s confusion over which votes will count. While residents will weigh in on ballot amendments, the Senate race and judgeships, Gov. Jeff Landry postponed the U.S. House race after the Supreme Court deemed the state’s congressional map unconstitutional. Still, the candidates remain on the ballot, and there are lawsuits circulating that advocate for these votes to still count. 

Stephanie Grace, the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, joins us to break down the confusion. 

According to New Orleans Police Department traffic reports, at least four bicyclists and over two dozen pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in New Orleans last year. This doesn’t include those injured in such accidents.

Just over a month ago, the city council adopted the Safe Streets and Roads for All Safety Action Plan to eliminate all traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2041. 

Allene La Spina, executive director of Bike Easy, joins us for more on this plan. 

This weekend, Bayou Boogaloo, the annual May festival, will celebrate its 20th anniversary. But this year, the semi-aquatic musical festival comes with major cuts and new locations. 

Festival founder Jared Zeller joins us for more on this year’s event and why they’re scaling back. 

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

This Saturday, Louisiana voters will weigh in on whether to let the new city of St. George form its own school district. To do that, they have to amend the state’s constitution.

The Baton Rouge breakaway suburb has been trying to start its own school system for more than a decade. WRKF’s Report for America corps member Alex Cox joins us with more.

The Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children have partnered to bring a recognition called “The Best Place for Working Parents” to Louisiana. The recognition acknowledges employers who self-assess to gauge how friendly their workplace is for workers with children. 

Taylor Henry, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, tells us more about improving working conditions for parents. 

Since the Make-A-Wish Organization was first founded, it’s helped grant more than 12,000 wishes to children in Louisiana. In 2025, it granted 650 wishes across the Gulf Coast region, the highest total in the organization’s history.

May is a busy month for the Make-A-Wish Texas, Gulf Coast and Louisiana Chapter. After World Wish Month and World Wish Day, the organization has many local events hoping to raise money to support the mission. 

Wish Kid, Abron Fyre, his mother Misty Frye, and the organization’s director of development, Tommy Fonseca, join us with 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 study from researchers at Tulane University is delivering a stark message about the future of coastal Louisiana: New Orleans is not forever.

The study warns that rising seas, sinking land and ongoing coastal erosion mean the question is no longer if the coastline will move inland, but how we prepare for the inevitable reality that our region will be taken over by the Gulf of Mexico. 

Torbjörn Törnqvist, geology professor at Tulane and lead author of the study, joins us for more on the findings and the logistics of relocating an entire city. 

This month, one of William Shakespeare’s most powerful and haunting tragedies takes the stage in New Orleans. “King Lear” — a story of power, family, betrayal and madness — will come to life at the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane University.

Jana Mestecky, director of the production, and John Neisler, the actor who plays King Lear, tell us more about adapting the work with a fast-paced style and ensemble cast.

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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 new podcast from WNYC’s “On The Media” seeks to tell the story of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA,” is a four-part series that chronicles the agency from its founding to its current uncertain status in the Trump Administration. The second episode takes a deep dive into the failings of FEMA during Hurricane Katrina. 

Micah Loewinger, reporter and host of the series, joins with the details.

The story of boxing great Muhammed Ali takes musical form in a new album from Baton Rouge-based composer and guitarist D.J. Sparr. The album “The Tao of Muhammad Ali” is based on a podcast by writer Davis Miller that explores his friendship with the champ and how Ali — even through his later years battling Parkinson’s disease — was an inspiration and role model.

Sparr joins us with more on the musical tribute. 

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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!

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana’s congressional election map is unconstitutional. Governor Jeff Landry quickly responded with an emergency declaration to suspend the ongoing congressional primary election. While the state argues it now has to redraw the maps  before the election can move forward, some legal experts are asking whether it’s right to suspend an election when some voters have already cast absentee ballots. 

Dane Ciolino, professor at Loyola New Orleans College of Law, and Peter Robins-Brown, executive director of Louisiana Progress, spoke with WRKF’s Adam Vos for more.

Longtime Times-Picayune theater critic and entertainment writer David Cuthbert passed away one week ago. For 43 years, he was at the front of showbiz information and profiled legends in the industry. From copy boy to editor of the paper’s TV Focus, his writings showcased his thirst for entertainment news and his love of New Orleans theatre. He was 79. 

Just over a year ago, Cuthbert joined WWNO’s Bob Pavlovich around the time of Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary. He discussed the time SNL came for Mardi Gras, the ill-fated show and his experience interviewing original cast members.  

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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!