Louisiana Considered

Wait times at the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport have been much longer than usual in recent weeks, especially during peak travel days. Some travelers have experienced hours-long delays, with lines stretching out of the building into the airport’s parking garage. 

Aubri Juhasz has been covering this story for WWNO and WRKF. She joins with more.

Nexus Louisiana has a lofty goal. The Baton Rouge-based startup accelerator wants to identify 1,000 founders of tech companies in Louisiana by the year 2035.

Tony Zanders, president & CEO, Nexus Louisiana, joins us to share more about this organization’s mission to energize the state’s tech sector. 

Later on the show, we’ll hear about a team of LSU researchers who are working on ways to get microplastics out of the environment. 

The tiny pieces of plastics can be ingested and remain in our bodies for a long time.

The LSU team recently found a way to physically “trap” microplastics in water using an eco-friendly foam.

Graduate student and researcher Kennedy Guillot 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!

East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards wants to give employees at the Baton Rouge Police Department a raise. Edwards’ plan hopes to give sworn officers at least a 15% raise, non-sworn employees a 3.5% raise and the chiefs a 5.9% raise.

But this still needs to be approved by the East Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council, which they will consider in an upcoming meeting.

Report for America corps member Alex Cox joins us with more.

Many Louisiana school districts are still under court-ordered desegregation plans dating back to the 1960s and 70s. 

Under the second Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Justice has set out to dismiss desegregation cases across the country, and has already lifted at least two orders in Louisiana — in Plaquemines and DeSoto parishes. 

Natalie McLendon is a freelance reporter in Southwest Louisiana who recently published a story in The Current about that school system’s still-open desegregation case. She spoke with WWNO’s and WRKF’s education reporter, Aubri Juhasz, for more.

As Mississippi’s legislature debates how to spend opioid settlement funds, some of the voices missing from the conversation are people who have struggled with addiction.

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins held listening sessions and attended events, talking with people impacted by the opioid crisis. He asked how they think the state should spend the money.

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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!

Curbside recycling in New Orleans may soon disappear. Mayor Helena Moreno floated the possibility of eliminating it as a potential cost-saving measure to help deal with a massive budget deficit. This is despite the fact that New Orleans was poised to participate in a universal recycling initiative, which would have been fully funded. 

Katie Jane Fernelius has been reporting this story for Verite News. She joins us with more. 

Louisiana author Rachel Marsh is coming out with her second middle grade novel. Titled, “Grandpere’s Ghost Swamp,” the story follows a 12-year-old girl who explores the bayou as a way to reconnect with her Cajun roots. The novel also focuses on coastal restoration, which continues to be a major issue in the state.

Marsh tells us now more about her novel, and reconnecting to her Cajun heritage through her writing. 

The Gulf South has some of the strictest laws when it comes to losing one’s right to vote and getting that right back. Some Mississippi lawmakers have been trying to change that for several years now in the state, but measures continue to fall through.

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Elise Gregg takes a look at how that affects Mississippians and what could be next.

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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!

She’s been a part of thousands of listener’s mornings for more than three and a half decades. And now, Morning Edition host Diane Mack has decided to retire. 

Diane joins us to reflect on her life and career. She tells us how she first discovered NPR, offers advice to the next Morning Edition host and shares her most memorable moments on air.

It’s March Madness! The time of year when 68 men’s teams and 68 women’s teams compete to be the NCAA basketball champions.

In honor of basketball fever, we’re going to look back at the history of the sport in our state. In 1965, high school sports in New Orleans were still segregated.  But a secret game played between Jesuit and St. Augustine changed everything.

Laine Kaplan-Levinson recorded this story for the Tripod podcast. Today, we’ll give it a second listen.

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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 catch up on politics with Stephanie Grace, editorial director and columnist for The Times Picayune/The Advocate, for our week in politics. Today, she tells us about a legislative proposal to name a Louisiana bridge after President Donald Trump, and breaks down Mayor Moreno’s latest challenges. 

In the last few weeks, New Orleans has seen multiple water main breaks, with water spewing from the ground, swallowing land and blocking off streets. 

But it’s not limited to New Orleans. Shreveport endured a 42-inch water main burst earlier this month that closed schools and businesses, and endangered fire protection. Then there are the state’s rural water systems in places like Tallulah, Killian or Monterey that are struggling.

Robert Collins is a Dillard professor whom we often turn to for political analysis, but he has also studied municipal water systems worldwide. He joins us to discuss how these water systems need new investments in infrastructure totaling $100 million.

This weekend, the Danny Barker Banjo and Guitar Festival returns to New Orleans. Events will be centered at the New Orleans Jazz Museum with a series of concerts around the city.

To learn more, we’re joined by festival organizer and guitarist Detroit Brooks, banjoist Sava Venet, and producer of the festival's 2nd annual golf tournament, Glennon Bazzle.

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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, 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!

Analysis from Pew shows state reserve funds — often called rainy day funds — largely fell in 2025. That's the first time that happened since the Great Recession. It's down from a record high for state rainy day funds nationwide just the prior year. 

But Louisiana actually had a record-high rainy day balance in 2025, but we can’t rest easy, as it still falls short of the national average. 

To learn more about what this means and how the state uses reserve funds, we’re joined by Page Forrest, associate manager of the Fiscal 50 project at The Pew Charitable Trusts. 

This Friday, LSU’s Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs will present its 2026 John Breaux Symposium. The topic: “American Media at 250.”

They will be exploring the influence the media has exerted over civic life in America over the past two and a half centuries, as the U.S. approaches its 250th birthday.

Michael DiResto, director of the Reilly Center at LSU, tells us more about the upcoming event that highlights centuries of American political journalism.  

Earlier this year, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Baton Rouge became the first hospital in the region to offer a certain type of cancer immunotherapy — referred to as CAR-T-Cell Therapy — on an outpatient basis for certain blood cancers.

Dr. Andrew Dalovisio, director of the Myeloma Lymphoma and Cellular Therapy Program at Mary Bird Perkins, tells us more about this life-saving treatment.

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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!

The Nous Foundation is a New Orleans-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting Louisiana’s French, Creole and Indigenous cultures and languages. Recently, the organization received a $100,000 grant to launch an archival initiative. 

Scott Tilton, co-founder of the Nous Foundation, and Dr. Kim Vaz-Deville, leading scholar of African American ceremonial culture in Louisiana, tell us how the grant will allow them to further their research.

The Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University is gearing up for its 59th season. This year, they’ll present three musicals: “Chicago,” “La Cage aux Follies” and “A Little Night Music.” 

Artistic director C. Leonard Raybon joins us with the details.

In the southwestern corner of Louisiana, a massive buildout of liquefied natural gas export terminals is underway. The industry says it’s creating jobs and strengthening America’s energy dominance.

But as the Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins reports, the multibillion-dollar industry has reshaped the landscape, the economy and the daily lives of the people who have lived here for generations.

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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!

It’s March in Louisiana, and that means one thing: crawfish season. This year, the industry is facing major labor shortages due to federal immigration caps. This is despite the fact that most seasonal crawfish workers are typically authorized to work temporarily in the U.S. 

Avery White and Sheridan White reported this story for the LSU Manship School News Service. They join us for more. 

A new series of short films produced by Louisiana Public Broadcasting, in partnership with the HBCU Week NOW project, explores the impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities across Louisiana.  

“Louisiana's HBCUs: An American Legacy” delves into their impact in athletics, education, civil rights and culture. 

LPB Digital Media Director Donald “D Ray” Washington tells us more about this series. 

The quickly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence is poised to transform almost every industry we know — a prospect that breeds excitement for some, but fear and concern for others. 

An upcoming event hosted by the LSU Ourso College of Business, the “AI in Action Symposium," brings together expert voices at the heart of the AI revolution to explore how they have successfully navigated implementing AI in the workplace. 

Andrew Schwartz, professor at LSU’s Business College, tells us 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!

It’s the end of the week, and time to catch up on politics. The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s editorial director and columnist Stephanie Grace discusses Gov. Landry’s priorities for the state legislative session.  

Last month on Louisiana Considered, we brought you Voices of the Culture, a podcast hosted by two Black Masking Indians who shared their preparations for Mardi Gras day. 

Today, we’ll bring you the latest episode. Spy boy Horace Anderson, of the Creole Wild West, and Big Chief Dowee Robair, of the 9th Ward Black Hatchet, review their Fat Tuesdays, share the history behind Super Sunday and tell you where to catch them on St. Joseph’s Day. 

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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, 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 New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane kicks off tonight, and among the featured authors, directors and journalists is Clint Smith, a staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the poetry collection “Above Ground” and the best-selling book “How the Word Is Passed.” 

Smith is no stranger to New Orleans. He’s a native of the city who wrote a reflection on Hurricane Katrina’s 20th anniversary in August. 

Smith joins us for more on where you can catch him this weekend.

Last week on Louisiana Considered, we brought you the first part of the latest episode of Sea Change, exploring how artificial reefs are helping restore sea life habitats in Alabama. Today, in the second part of the episode, we learn how these reefs are playing out all the way in Cambodia.

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