Ten inmates escaped the Orleans Parish Justice Center last Friday, the biggest jailbreak in state history. Three of the men were captured shortly after they fled, and one more was arrested last night. Local and state law enforcement officials all seem to be pointing blame at one another.

WWNO/WRKF reporter Matt Bloom has been covering the story and  joins to give us an update. 

Hellenic heritage will be on full display when the Greek Festival returns for its 50th year. The host, New Orleans’ Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral is  celebrating its 160th anniversary. It’s  the oldest existing Orthodox community in the Americas. 

Maggie Maag, chair of the church’s Archives Committee, a conservation group also known as Keepers of the Faith, tells us more about the city’s Greek history and this year’s festival. 

“Kitten season” is in full swing, and it sounds much cuter than it is. It’s the time of year when kittens tend to be born at the highest rates, often overwhelming the capacity of animal shelters despite the best efforts of staff and volunteers.

Valerie Robinson, manager at Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelter, joins us to discuss what we can do to help stray cats during this time of year. 

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

Louisiana lawmakers are asking Congress to bring back a federal program that helped schools buy food from local farms. It’s one of the cuts the Trump administration made to the Department of Agriculture. Education reporter Aubri Juhasz explains how one school district used the money and how cuts are impacting their current relationships with local farms.

A recent investigation into Steward Health Care, which ran a hospital in West Monroe, La., found that the hospital chain’s owners spent years squeezing profits out of the business, leading to a decline in the quality of care. The investigation found over 400 lawsuits involving more than 80 deaths and issues with  labor and delivery. All while owners spent millions – on a yacht, an apartment in Spain, and a prep school – instead of spending money on important hospital equipment and employee salaries.

Reporter Hannah Levintova investigated the now bankrupt for-profit hospital. She joins us now to discuss her findings published in Mother Jones. 

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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!

Today on Louisiana Considered, we bring you a special episode of the coastal podcast Sea Change. Live from the New Orleans Jazz Museum, we hear conversations and songs about the intersection between climate and culture from scientists, tribe leaders and musicians.

Hosts Carlyle Calhoun and Eva Tesfaye are joined by musician Louis Michot; his father and musician and scientist and coastal researcher, Tommy Michot; musician and former Chief of the Houma Nation, Cocoa Creppel; and Professor of Sedimentary Geology, Sam Bentley.

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Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are 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. Sea Change is also supported by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time for our week in politics with the Editorial Director and Columnist for the Times-Picayune/The Advocate, Stephanie Grace. Today we dig into the rumors that Sen. Chuck Schumer is trying to convince former Gov. John Bel Edwards to run for Senate.

Coastal stories are all over the news these days, with vanishing wetlands causing major concerns for the future of Louisiana’s coastline. On today’s episode of “The Light Switch” podcast, host Greg LaRose speaks with reporter Elise Plunk about the state’s environmental future. Then, Plunk speaks with Ehab Meselhe, professor in the Department of River-Coastal Science and Engineering at Tulane University, about the overlap between environmental science and politics. 

President Donald Trump wants the U.S. to build more commercial ships by adding a new expense on Chinese ships trading with the U.S. All the while, the cost of his current tariffs are leading to fewer ships setting sail. 

Reporting from Mobile, Alabama’s waterfront, the Gulf States Newsroom’s Stephan Bisaha explains why the decline of American shipbuilding is a serious national security concern.

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

Last Thursday, Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the new pope. Now known as Pope Leo XIV, he’s the first American pope in the Vatican’s history.

Father Mark Mossa, Program Director for the Canizaro Center for Catholic Studies at  Loyola University of New Orleans, tells us more about what it means to have an American pope and how this could shape the Church’s future. 

The start of hurricane season is just weeks away, and it will be 20 years since Hurricane Katrina. And the man who led response efforts after the storm, Lt. General Russel Honoré (retired) wants to make sure you’re prepared. 

General Honoré joins us to reflect on Hurricane Katrina 20 years later and offer advice for this year’s season. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. 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!

Last week, Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the new pope. Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, is the first American pope in the Vatican’s history. Although he was born and raised in Chicago, a local genealogist and historian quickly traced his family’s lineage to New Orleans. 

Jari Honora, family historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection, tells us more about what he discovered about the pope’s familial ties to the Crescent City.

Venture Global, the U.S.’s second largest producer of liquified natural gas, plans to build a second terminal in south Louisiana, this time in the sparsely populated Cameron Parish. The proposed terminal was recently granted a permit by the Department of Energy, its fifth LNG-related approval since President Trump took office. 

Verite News’ Tristan Baurick tells us how residents are responding to the news.

Scott Cowen has worn many hats. College football player, infantry officer, professor and president of Tulane University when Hurricane Katrina hit. He became a prominent voice for restoring the city’s infrastructure, reforming the public school system and enhancing Tulane’s athletic programs.

More  recently, he’s authored several books, including  “Lead and Succeed,” a leadership guide for recent graduates and early career professionals.  Cowen joins us to discuss his varied career and share his leadership advice for young people.

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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!

We are all affected by ocean conditions, and we're talking about huge things like global food security and human health, to fisheries we depend on, to the transport of a whopping 90% of the world's goods. So it's vitally important to understand ocean conditions.

What can the fascinating field of ocean forecasting tell us about the future for us on land and for life under the sea?

Want to learn even more? Click here to read the report "Forecasting the Ocean."

This episode was hosted by Carlyle Calhoun, and Eva Tefaye conducted the interview. Our theme music is by John Batiste, and our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. Sea Change's managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun.

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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. It's also supported by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Mereaux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

It’s Thursday, and time to catch up on the week in politics with Stephanie Grace, editorial director and columnist for the Times-Picayune/The Advocate. Today we hear about the latest rift between Mayor Cantrell and the city council – this time over trash pickup in the French Quarter. 

Downriver from NOLA, a small Mississippi River offshoot, dubbed Neptune Pass, formed in 2020. The Army Corps of Engineers are looking at closing the opening as it presents problems for navigation. But the Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority and other coastal advocates argue it’s an opportunity for coastal restoration. 

Alex Kolker is an oceanographer, geologist and climatologist at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. He joins us to share his new research on how the pass is building land using sediment from the Mississippi River. 

Earlier today, Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the new pope. The Chicago native – who will now be known as Pope Leo XIV – is the first American pope in the Vatican’s history. 

Leading up to the selection, many had hopes for who the new pope might be, and what communities he might represent. 

Kathleen Dorsey Bellow, director of Xavier University’s Institute for Black Catholic Studies, spoke to us about Pope Francis’ legacy among Black Catholics and what she hopes to see for the future of the Catholic Church. And just a note, this conversation was recorded before the announcement of the new pope.

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

Louisiana is in the midst of a deadly and growing outbreak of whooping cough. So far, two babies have died, and pediatricians have been urging the public to check their vaccine status and get vaccinated. 

Public health reporter Rosemary Westwood speaks with state epidemiologist Theresa Sokol to get an update on the situation.

For 60 years, rodeo has been a tradition at the state’s most notorious prison, Angola. The event lets inmates show off their vocational and artistic skills – and even make money. But it can be brutal, with inmates participating in dangerous activities some view as dehumanizing or exploitative. 

In the latest episode of The Light Switch podcast, Louisiana Illuminator reporter Piper Hutchinson speaks with Andrew Hundley, co-founder of the Louisiana Parole Project, to learn about the rodeo and opportunities for inmates after they’re released.

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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!

A new city ordinance would shield sex workers from prosecution when they report crimes to the New Orleans police. But it  would not protect them when state police handle their cases. 

Verite News’ Safura Syed joins us to explain how the ordinance would work.

The banks of Bayou St. John will fill up with boats, vendors and music  when the 18th annual Bayou Boogaloo kicks off next weekend. Jared Zeller,  president of Friends of Bayou St. John, and the festival’s producer and founder, tells us what’s on deck.

This Friday, Project Lazarus, a New Orleans-based organization that helps people living with HIV and AIDS, will host their annual Guardian Angel Award Gala to honor their biggest supporters. As they prepare  for the yearly event, we take a look back at the history of HIV and AIDS in New Orleans and hear how the organization came to be. 

The organization’s executive director Ian Bicko, tells us more about Project Lazarus and what they offer today.

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