Kemp's Ridleys are the most endangered sea turtle on the planet... can they lose their nickname of the "heartbreak turtle"? Today, we go on a journey to the remote Chandeleur islands to try to find the mysterious Kemp’s Ridley turtles, who, after 75 years, have been discovered on the shores of Louisiana. It’s a story of loss and restoration, of hope and heartbreak.

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This episode was originally published October 2, 2023. Hosted by Sea Change managing producer Carlyle Calhoun. Editing help by Nora Saks, Garrett Hazelwood, and Halle Parker. Our sound designer is Maddie Zampanti. Sea Change is a production of WWNO and WRKF. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

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 originally aired December 5, 2024. It 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.

Louisiana’s coast is rapidly disappearing into the Gulf, threatening not only the land, but also the people and the culture that make it special. Instead of mourning the coast, a new series from PBS member station WYES is celebrating it. 

Eco Trip is the Gulf South's first eco-adventure television series that combines outdoor adventure, authentic travel, rich cultural traditions and environmental discovery. 

Host Tom Gregory jumps into each adventure firsthand, creating an authentic look at the culture, history and perseverance that has shaped coastal Louisiana for generations. He spoke with the coastal desk’s Eva Tesfaye for more.

Back in May, WNYC’s On the Media released a podcast all about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — “American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA.” The four-part series chronicled 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. 

Earlier this year, we spoke with reporter and host of the series Micah Loewinger. Today, we’ll look back on that conversation.

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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 Friday on Louisiana Considered, we brought you the first part of the latest episode of Sea Change, all about the fight against pollution in the Texas Gulf. Today, we bring you part 2. 

Neil McQueen learned to surf as a Texas teenager, and it changed his life – eventually pulling him away from a career as a plastics engineer and into the fight to save the very waters that shaped him. Thanks to the way ocean currents loop through the Gulf, the Texas coast collects roughly 10 times more plastic debris than any other Gulf state, much of it spilling from the massive petrochemical complex that lines its shores.

Today, reporter Avery Thompson follows Neil from the surf off Mustang Island to the halls of the Texas Capitol to witness a personal reckoning with the plastics economy that helped build modern Texas—and one man’s determination to leave the ocean better than he found it.

To learn more about the citizen-led science project tracking pre-production plastics, called nurdles, check out the Nurdle Patrol. And for more about the Surfrider Foundation's work on the Texas coast, click here.

CREDITS

This episode was reported by Texas-based reporter Avery Thompson. It was edited by Carlyle Calhoun and Eve Abrams, with additional help from Johanna Zorn, Eva Tesfaye, and Michael McEwan. Carlyle Calhoun is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste, and sound design by Dennis Funk with help from Avery Thompson.

Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are 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.

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to talk politics with The Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s Stephanie Grace. Today, we learn how Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is wrapping up his time in Congress by challenging the MAHA agenda with vaccine advocacy. 

August marks the birthday of New Orleans jazz legend Louis Armstrong.

In 2021, Hurricane Ida destroyed a building in the Central Business District where Armstrong spent much of his childhood. Years later, our managing producer Alana Schreiber visited the space to learn about efforts to reconstruct the building and honor Armstrong’s legacy. Today, we give that story a second listen. 

For over 40 years, she has guided New Orleans’ book consumers with her writing and radio conversations. Now, Susan Larson has announced her retirement from her show, The Reading Life on WWNO. She joins us to reflect on her journey as an author, critic and advocate for the local literary community. She also shares the following recommendations for those who wish to feel a stronger tie to New Orleans-related literature.

Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole, the book that sets the bar for New Orleans comedy.

Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table, by Sara Roahen, a classic of discovering our distinctive foodways.

In the Land of Dreamy Dreams, by Ellen Gilchrist, one of the best social dissections of the city.

Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice, captures the spooky side of the city.

The Moviegoer, by Walker Percy, still speaks to the New Orleans atmosphere.

NO Lit: 200 Years of New Orleans Literature, edited by Nancy Dixon, a very comprehensive anthology.

The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You: Stories, by Maurice Carlos Ruffin—tales of a broad cross-section of New Orleanians.

New Orleans City Guide 1938—The WPA guide is still surprisingly useful and informative.

Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas, edited by Rebecca Solnit and Rebecca Snedeker, creative and intelligent essays and maps.

The World That Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square, by Ned Sublette—one of the seminal books about New Orleans culture.

And of course: The Booklover’s Guide to New Orleans, by Susan Larson

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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!

Louisiana's Public Service Commission (PSC) is overseeing one of the biggest industrial buildouts in state history. They’re considering 10 new gas plants and other infrastructure, like transmission lines, in order to power Meta's data centers in Richland Parish.

Last week, the PSC voted to overturn a judge’s ruling that Meta had to turn over information about how it calculated jobs and power usage. And the meeting got heated, as Michael McEwen reported for our Coastal Desk.

But just ahead of that meeting, an investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins found that an Entergy executive ghostwrote motions that some commissioners filed in support of projects like Meta’s data center.

Both Michael McEwen and Drew Hawkins join us for more on the latest.

Louisiana’s surgeon general, Dr. Evelyn Griffin, is a longtime OBGYN who is aligning herself with the Make America Healthy Again movement. She’s fought against government mandates and questioned vaccine safety. Now, she’s pushing for greater emphasis on wellness and disease prevention. 

New York Times fellow Rosemary Westwood has been reporting this story. She joins us for more on her look into Griffin’s background and agenda. 

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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!

Last November, lawyer and formerly wrongfully incarcerated man Calvin Duncan won the election to serve as Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal District Court before legislators passed a law that got rid of this position. He has since filed a lawsuit arguing that the law was specifically intended to keep him out of office. 

Last week, Duncan’s legal team filed an amended complaint to the U.S. District Court. One of Duncan’s lawyers, Margo Rusconi, spoke with WWNO’s Morning Edition producer Mel Bridges for more.

The New Orleans Police Department recently announced additional hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding to purchase emergency response drones. This comes after the City Council decided the NOPD must share public reports about drone use, after growing concerns the department is too soft on technology.

Sophie Kasakove has been reporting on this for The Times-Picayune/The Advocate. She joins us with the latest. 

National Black Breastfeeding Week takes place each year from August 25-31. The week highlights the experiences of Black breastfeeding families and draws attention to racial disparities in nursing rates and maternal and infant health. 

Jade George, international board certified lactation consultant, doula and childbirth educator, tells us more about how to make breastfeeding more accessible.

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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!

As we’ve been reporting, non-disclosure agreements are becoming common practice around large industrial developments in Louisiana, largely driven by Gov. Jeff Landry.

On today’s episode, we're back again with more NDAs — this time involving a sitting member of Congress. 

Julia Letlow (R-LA) — who is also the Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for U.S. Senate — signed an NDA with Meta. Then, she bought stock in the company building a $50 billion data center in her district in north Louisiana. She then failed to disclose her trades for more than a year. 

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins has been reporting this story and joins us with more. 

A program created by Louisiana lawmakers offers compensation to those wrongfully convicted. But Louisiana’s top prosecutor, Attorney General Liz Murill, has a history of fighting compensation claims. Currently, she’s arguing that Elvis Brooks, a man wrongfully imprisoned for 42 years, should be denied payment because she believes he is still guilty.

Richard Webster has been covering this for Verite News and Pro Publica. He joins us with the latest. 

One of the largest international action sports competitions in the world is hoping to deepen its relationship with Birmingham, Alabama. 

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Joseph King attended an action sports festival in Birmingham earlier this month to explore its growing popularity. 

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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!

Louisiana's coastline is constantly changing, and one of the newest examples is Neptune Pass, a naturally forming channel in the lower Mississippi River that's rapidly building new land in Plaquemines Parish. 

Recently, a dozen teachers from across the state got the chance to see that transformation firsthand during a two-day professional development workshop organized by the Mississippi River Delta Transition Initiative, known as MissDelta, and Louisiana Sea Grant.

Domonique Garello, Assistant Professor at LSU’s Department of Geoscience, and Mariam Afuwape, Chemistry PhD student at LSU, spoke with WWNO’s Sara Henegan for more.

The Texas coast collects roughly 10 times more plastic debris than any other Gulf state, much of it spilling from the massive petrochemical complex that lines its shores. Now, a new group of activists is working to clean up the water: surfers.

Today we listen to the first part of the latest episode of Sea Change, to learn how these surfers are helping restore the water in the wake of the plastics economy. 

Voting rights advocacy organizations across Mississippi are setting their sights on recently enacted legislation, and they aim to educate voters on their rights at the polls.

The Gulf States Newsroom's Maya Miller spoke to Southern Poverty Law Center's Mississippi Policy Director Sonya Williams-Barnes about the SHIELD Act, redistricting and more.

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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 discuss the end of qualifying for the November elections and what races are already drawing attention.

In recent years, there’s been a massive uptick in misinformation spread over the internet. In Acadiana, misinformation spread by both internet bots and neighbors derailed a solar farm project in Iberia Parish. While the project promised millions in local tax revenue, rumors circulated that the panels could cause fires, property values to fall, pollution and even disease.

Delaney Nolan reported this story for The Lens. She joins us now for more. 

For the first time in its history, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana has its own facility in Covington. The ribbon was cut this past Friday on the Doug A. Brooks Family Donor Fund Clubhouse.

Angel Nelson, president and CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Metro Louisiana, and Doug Brooks, Covington Board Member, tell us how this expansion will help the organization serve more children. 

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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!