Louisiana Considered

East Baton Rouge is facing a major budget shortfall. Parish officials need to find an extra $21 million, and one way they hope to save money is by getting more public service retirees to switch to government-funded health care. 

Report for America corps member Alex Cox has the story.

Last weekend, the Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge hosted a screening of “Ancestral Artistry: The Influence of Africans and Creoles of Color on Louisiana Architecture.” The film explores centuries of craftsmanship, culture and resilience passed down through generations of diverse communities who contributed to the state’s architectural landscape

The film’s co-directors Charles E. Richard and Conni Castille join us for more.

A community beautification project born in the years after Hurricane Katrina is celebrating a milestone. The Utility Box Art Project from the non-profit, Community Visions Unlimited, is turning 15. For over a decade the painted and decorated boxes have added a dash of color in New Orleans and surrounding cities.

Vice president of Community Visions Unlimited Jeannie Tidy joins us with more.

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!

When there's an outbreak of an infectious disease, state health officials usually rush to alert doctors and the public about what's going on. But this year, during Louisiana's worst outbreak of whooping cough in decades, health officials did not appear to follow that playbook. 

WWNO’s health reporter Rosemary Westwood tells us more.

This Veterans Day, Laura Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana will hold a special event to honor the enslaved men from Laura Plantation who fought in the U.S. Army during the Civil War. This comes out of a partnership with the African-American Civil War Memorial and Museum in Washington, D.C., to honor the veterans of the 75th United States Colored Infantry regiment.

With a look into this history and their story, 

Laura Plantation general manager Sand Marmillion and historian Katy Morlas Shannon tell us about this history and commemoration. 

Crescent Care, a nonprofit health care agency in New Orleans, has adopted a new model when it comes to treating behavioral health. They’ve expanded high-quality integrated care across the city, leading to fewer wait times, same-day assessments and more treatment options.

Lucy Cordts, a licensed clinical social worker and director of Behavioral Health at Crescent Care, 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 Thursday, and that means it’s time to catch up on politics with the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. We discuss what’s on the ballot in the November elections, including city council runoffs and ballot proposals. 

The St. Tammany Parish Economic Development Corporation appointed a new President and CEO in late August. A northshore native, Russell Richardson brings his experience from the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Louisiana Economic Development to the position. 

He joins us for more on his plans to develop the area without losing its charm and character. 

This past weekend, the New Orleans Reggae Fest had rain issues that forced its postponement. The organizers’ wheels started turning as they began rescheduling amid a potentially disastrous Hurricane headed towards reggae's birthplace. 

Now, the festival will be more than just a concert; it will be a way to help others. Organizer Joel Hitchcock-Tilton tells us how the new event will fundraise for victims of Hurricane Melissa. 

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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!

Let’s say you’re in the car-making business and wanting to avoid tariffs. You can buy American, but how do you meet those American suppliers? One option: speed dating. 

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Stephan Bisaha reports from a carmaker matchmaking day.

A partnership between LSU and the global agricultural technology corporation Syngenta is aimed at advancing a tool that’s used in industry. They’re called “digital twins” and they’re used as a prototype of sorts to help model and test physical objects in a virtual space.

LSU’s College of Art & Design is involved, and they’re using techniques from the entertainment industry to help in this concept that’s used for industry and manufacturing.

Associate professor of digital art at the LSU College of Art & Design, Derick Ostrenko, and

assistant professor of virtual production and immersive media, Jason Jamerson, join us for more on the artistic side of this initiative. They’re joined by chemical process engineer at Syngenta, Ben Spry, for more.

It’s been a little over a year since Ed Daniels, New Orleans sportscaster, television sports director at WGNO and youth sporting advocate, passed away at the age of 67. As the longest-serving sports director in New Orleans, Daniels was known for his calm demeanor, making his point without raising a voice — often contrasting with the aggressive sportscaster stereotype. 

Over the summer, Daniels was officially inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. His wife, Robin Daniels, along with his longtime friend and fellow sports commentator Kenny Trahan join us to remember their loved one and his impact on the New Orleans sports scene. 

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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 once-vibrant Louisiana film and television industry has dramatically slowed down. There are five independent feature films in pre- or full production in the state, a stark contrast from previous years.

CEO of The Ranch Film Studios in Chalmette and president of Film Louisiana, Jason Wagespack, breaks down the situation and the efforts of lobbyists to revive the industry.

A spooky, creepy, unique adventure, just in time for Halloween, awaits those who dare to step inside 

The Delaporte Manor is hosting a spooky adventure just in time for Halloween. The former funeral home will welcome guests to a horror-themed home full of escape rooms and other activities. 

Delaporte Manor director Andrew Preble tells us more about his creation and how he first fell in love with haunted houses, creating them in his childhood home in Abita Springs. 

The South Korean car company Hyundai is committing $26 billion to building out its U.S. manufacturing over the next four years. That includes a nearly $6 billion steel plant in Louisiana. And the company is sticking with the investment despite complications with the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdowns. 

Stephan Bisaha of the Gulf States Newsroom reports that some activists are also questioning whether that commitment will lead to American jobs.

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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!

On Sunday night, LSU fired head football coach Brian Kelly following a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M. What began as a discussion on staffing changes ended with Kelly’s firing, according to multiple news outlets. Koki Riley covers LSU baseball and football for The Advocate and joins us for more. 

2025 marks 100 years since the founding of Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans. To this day, it’s the nation’s only historically Black and Catholic University. Now, a new exhibition at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art celebrates the centennial. Dubbed “Each One Teach One” the exhibit showcases 100 years of art from the Xavier community. 

Ron Bechet, professor and former head of the Art Department at Xavier University, and Bradley Sumrall, curator at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, tell us more about the exhibition and Xavier art history.

This coming Saturday marks the 100th anniversary of the State Library of Louisiana. It’s also the date for the annual Louisiana Book Festival in downtown Baton Rouge, where organizers plan to celebrate the milestone.  

With more on the library’s role and impact across a century and what’s planned for this year's book festival, State Librarian Meg Placke and the festival’s executive director, Robert Wilson, tell 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!

The New Orleans government may not be able to make payroll this year as the city faces a $160 million deficit and severe cash flow problems. This means that city employees may not receive another paycheck before the end of the year.

The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s Ben Myers joins us for more.

Louisiana has one of the highest populations of deaf and blind people in the nation. To support this community at LSU, the university has been making all sorts of accommodations, including hiring a blind and low vision specialist, creating a braille library and hosting its first-ever “white cane day.”

Tracy Blanchard, director of LSU’s Disability Services, and Silent McCarthy, LSU’s blind and low vision specialist, tell us more about these initiatives.

NPR has lost a giant. Susan Stamberg was an original National Public Radio staffer who went on to become the first U.S. woman to anchor a nightly national news program. She died at the age of 87. 

NPR’s David Folkenfilk reflects on her life, legacy and ways she shaped NPR as one of its so-called “founding mothers.” 

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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!

During Hurricane Katrina, thousands of people were locked in the Orleans Parish jail complex as the storm made landfall.

In the third of a series remembering that crisis, The Gulf States Newsroom’s Kat Stromquist visits with a mom whose son survived the storm in the jail — and speaks with experts, who say disaster planning could improve in jails and prisons.

New research out of Tulane University’s Newcomb Institute has found a definitive link between long heat waves and the incidence of domestic violence. The data came out of New Orleans and it’s especially concerning in a geography that stands to see heatwaves intensify and increase in frequency.

Anita Raj, executive director of the Newcomb Institute of Tulane University, tells us more about the findings.

The Universities of Louisiana Maritime Academy is making progress in its effort to establish a combined higher-ed effort to bolster the maritime workforce. Earlier this month, they signed a memorandum of understanding with the Propeller Club of New Orleans that will help develop the Maritime Academy at Nicholls State University.

Kelly Denning is the executive director of Universities of Louisiana Maritime Academy. She tells us more about increasing educational and skills-building opportunities for maritime workers. 

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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 U.S. Supreme Court is hearing Callais v. Louisiana, a seminal redistricting case that focuses on the constitutionality of the state’s congressional map. The court will consider whether Louisiana’s creation of a second majority-Black district in 2024 — which was required by the Voting Rights Act — is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th and 15th Amendments. 

John Cusick serves as Assistant Counsel for the Legal Defense Fund, the organization arguing to keep the map as it is. He spoke with WRKF’s Report for America Corps Member, Alex Cox, for more.

The Symphony Chorus of New Orleans takes audiences on an emotional, musical journey through one of the darkest episodes in human history as it presents Donald McCullough’s Holocaust Cantata: Songs from the Camps. The work is based on research of original music sung by those imprisoned in concentration camps. 

Steven Edwards, music director of the Symphony Chorus of New Orleans, joins us with more.

Next Tuesday, Oct. 29, WWNO will host a first-of-its-kind benefit concert. The event will honor contributions in public radio and feature New Orleans musical legends Big Sam’s Funky Nation and Stanton Moore.

WWNO’s development assistant and classical network coordinator, Sara Henegan, tells us what’s on deck at the upcoming event.

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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!

US prosecutors have accused a Louisiana man of participating in the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. Mahmoud al-Muhtadi allegedly joined a paramilitary group that fought alongside Hamas in 2023, before traveling to the U.S. 

Christiaan Mader, founder and editor of the Current, tells us more. 

All this week, the New Orleans film festival is hosting screenings, panel discussions, and workshops, uniting some of the biggest names in independent filmmaking today.

One of the guests is Benh Zeitlin, the Oscar-nominated director of the 2012 film “Beasts of the Southern Wild”. He’s teaching a masterclass workshop all about developing casts from inexperienced actors. He joins us now for more on his career and how you can attend his class. 

Over at Tulane University, changemakers are finding new ways to increase sustainability by limiting food waste. Tulane Hospitality Sustainability is combining efforts in food recovery, farming and sourcing to limit wasteful consumption.

Sustainability manager at Tulane Hospitality, Emily Slazer, tells us about their award-winning initiatives. 

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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!