Louisiana Considered

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time for our week in politics with Stephanie Grace, the editorial director and columnist for the Times-Picayune/The Advocate. Today she breaks down a reignited feud between Mayor Cantrell and the city council, and discusses the latest entrant in the New Orleans mayoral race.

If you’ve spent time in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, then you’re probably familiar with Rosetree, a studio and store, where artist Mark Rosenbaum has been blowing glass for decades. He’s created wine glasses, vases, bowls, commissions for corporations and presidents, and other colorful and delicate artwork. But after 40 years, he’s hung up the blowpipe. 

We traveled to Rosetree Blown Glass Studio and Gallery to chat with Mark. He cleaned up the space, showed us some artwork and reflected on his career.

For their series, “What Was Lost”, Verite News has been collecting audio stories from readers who lost a treasure or have a memory from Hurricane Katrina.  

Today, we hear a story from Norris Cook, who remembers his grandfather’s green skiff boat that washed away with the storm. And Bob Pavlovich remembers his grandfather’s boat, lost to Hurricane Andrew decades earlier. 

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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!

Thanks to a new law, Louisiana homeowners can now get a $10,000 tax credit if they install a fortified roof on their home. That’s in addition to the $10,000 Fortified Grant Program. 

Capitol Access reporter Brooke Thorington spoke with state Sen. Kirk Talbot (R-River Ridge), who authored the legislation, about the program and some of its limitations.

A rare election for the  Crescent Soil and Water Conservation District Board drew an unexpectedly high level of interest for a governing body that is accustomed to operating in the background.

Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) help landowners implement practices that protect natural resources. There’s 44 of them in Louisiana, and they rarely hold elections. The June 14th election was the first in the New Orleans district and only the seventh statewide.

Erica Johnson is an urban farmer at Petit Jardin in New Orleans, and the newly-elected member of the Crescent Soil and Water Conservation District Board in New Orleans. She joins us to discuss  her new role and the historic voter turnout.

Over the past year, more than 24,000 students in Louisiana read more than 82,000 books and voted on their favorites for the Louisiana Readers’ Choice Awards. For 26 years, the program has worked to engage young readers  and giving them a voice. And more middle and high schoolers participated this year than in years past. 

Louisiana state librarian Meg Placke tells us more about the program and what the awards revealed.

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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!

Yesterday on Louisiana Considered, the Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins brought us to the Netherlands to learn how the country was navigating the opioid epidemic. Today we hear how a different European country is handling this crisis – and what Louisiana could learn from it.

Delaney Nolan recently reported on how harm reduction practices in Ukraine are providing a possible model for Louisiana addiction treatment. She joins us today to share more information. 

The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane continues its season with the Bard’s romantic comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Directed by Graham Burke, the comedy highlights magic, mischief and romance. 

Actors Ian Hock and Celeste Cahn give us a preview. 

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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!

If you’re a regular NPR listener, you know that our organization is under serious threat. The House of Representatives recently approved a request from President Trump to cut funding to the broadcast network.

While this could be a major blow to all stations, the smaller ones are most at risk. Oftentimes,  it’s just a small team of people bringing news to an underrepresented region. Or in this case,  just one person.

Jeff Ferrell is the news director and sole full-time staff member at Red River Radio KDAQ in Shreveport, Louisiana. He walks us through his 13-hour day and shares how budget cuts could impact his station.

Louisiana’s feral hog population is approaching 1 million, and the invasive species is  wreaking havoc  across the state by destroying property and crops.  Now experts warn they’re causing major erosion along the coastline.

State wildlife veterinarian Jonathon Roberts joins to discuss challenges with reigning them in, and possible solutions.

Millions of Americans have been locked up in the “War on Drugs.” Despite the staggering death toll of the opioid crisis, the U.S. continues to treat drug use largely as a criminal issue. But as the Gulf States Newsroom's Drew Hawkins reports, other countries like the Netherlands have taken a different approach.

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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’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. Today she tells us about State Sen. Royce Duplesis’ decision to join the New Orleans mayoral race, and goes over Gov. Landry’s recent line item vetoes. 

Café Reconcile, a modern soul food cafe tucked away in Central City, is a safe space for at-risk youth to learn culinary and life skills. 

As it celebrates 25 years in business, the restaurant is rebranding, and has 

updated its mission and core value statement. Caitlin Scanlan, chief development officer for Reconcile New Orleans, tells us more

Last month, the Historic New Orleans Collection opened their latest exhibition, “The Trail The Blazed.” The exhibit gives viewers insight into the local civil rights movement through a multimedia experience – letting them hear the voices and music of the era straight from those on the front lines.

Eric Seiferth curated this exhibit, and joins us with the details.

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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!

More than 40 years after the 1979 Iranian revolutions, relations between the United States and Iran remain frayed. This has largely been due to Iran’s advancing nuclear program.

But tensions escalated even further when Israel launched surprise attacks on key nuclear and military facilities in Iran. This prompted the U.S. to get involved, with President Trump ordering strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. And while the nations have since come to a peace agreement, relations remain fragile. 

Andrew Leber is an assistant professor at Tulane’s Department of Political Science and the Middle East and North African Studies program. He joins us to help explain the current situation, and what comes next. 

This summer on Louisiana Considered, we are airing stories from “What Was Lost,” a series from Verite News that examines and memorializes things the community lost to Hurricane Katrina. They explore physical, mental and emotional costs of the disaster. 

Today we bring you a story on the loss of neighborhood sounds by author Fatima Shaik.

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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!

Its storm season in the Gulf South, and the National Hurricane Center has been tracking tropical disturbances headed towards the coast. Tropical Storm Barry formed over the weekend, and now forecasters are looking at more worrisome weather near Florida.

Meteorologist Jennifer Narramore joins us to share an update and discuss how this year’s hurricane season compares to previous ones.

The Tony-award winning Sondheim musical “Company,” debuts at the Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre next weekend, July 10-13. The comedic performance is directed by Leslie Castay, a film and Broadway veteran with roots in LaPlace. She joins us with the details. 

It’s been a rough year for the University of New Orleans. To close the school’s deficit and start addressing its long-standing debt, administrators cut budgets, closed Milneburg Hall and laid off and furloughed employees. Now, the university is on its way to returning to the LSU System.

Education reporter Aubri Juhasz tells us how two UNO employees, and members of its union chapter, are thinking about the school’s future and what needs to change. 

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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 been three years since the Supreme Court reversed the nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. Since then, Louisiana and other conservative states have enacted strict bans against the procedure. And as a result, other aspects of reproductive health have been caught in the post-Roe wake.

Lorena O’Neil covers reproductive health for the Louisiana Illuminator. She spoke with the news outlet’s editor-in-chief, Greg LaRose, host of The Light Switch podcast, to share more details.

Earlier this month, Louisiana lost a great journalist. Stanley Nelson ran the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday. But his life’s work was investigating cold cases from the Civil Rights era — work that made him a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

Nelson left behind not only an incredible body of work — but also a legacy of investigative reporting that continues to inspire the next generation of journalists. 

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins was a student of Nelson’s. He joined Louisiana Considered’s Alana Schreiber to talk about Nelson’s life and legacy. 

A recent investigation by the Alabama Reflector analyzed a large number of lawsuits from former inmates over their treatment in state prisons. The cases allege excessive force by correctional officers and have cost the state millions of dollars. 

Beth Shelburne investigated these cases for the four-part series “Blood Money” and spoke with Greg LaRose.

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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!

It’s Thursday, and The Times Picayune/the Advocate’s editorial director and columnist Stephanie Grace is here to talk politics. Today she discusses why some Republican lawmakers are walking back their initial support for Medicaid cuts, and tells us about a rising democratic star in Louisiana politics.

Most Louisianans are familiar with the term “Cancer Alley,” referring to the stretch of land between Baton Rouge and New Orleans where petrochemical facilities have allegedly contributed to high rates of cancer. Now state residents are learning of a new term, “Detention Alley", as rural parts of the state are turning into hubs for immigration enforcement, with skyrocketing numbers of people in custody.

Molly Hennessy-Fiske, a reporter for the Washington Post, has spent time in “Detention Alley,” specifically, the town of Winnfield. She joins us to discuss the emotional impacts and economic boosts the rural community is experiencing. 

CLECO, the utility company that provides electricity to nearly 300,000 customers in 24 Louisiana parishes, is searching for a buyer. CLECO notified the state Public Service Commission, and that set into motion a months-long process of requests for proposals as well as examinations by the PSC. .

Peter Ricchiuti, a professor at Tulane’s A. B. Freeman School of Business, tells us what this sale means for Louisiana residents.

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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!

A new Louisiana law could sentence more 17-year-olds to adult prison terms. But at the same time, some people serving long sentences for crimes they committed as teens are being released.

Kat Stromquist of the Gulf States Newsroom reports on the challenges and joys of reentry for these "juvenile lifers." 

It’s summertime in Louisiana, and for many that means it’s time for water sports. But for people with disabilities, access to these sports is often limited.

Unless of course, you join the Ski Dawgs, an organization that helps people living with disabilities get the chance to water ski. With adaptive equipment and a team of volunteers, members get the chance to ride the waves in St. Tammany Parish.

Ski Dawgs, founder David Thomas and co-director Jamie Galloway share more details.

Mechanical ventilators gained attention  during the COVID-19 pandemic as a form of life-saving technology when hospital supplies were limited. .

But a new study out of Tulane University suggests that certain use of mechanical ventilators could cause damage to the lungs, particularly to the alveoli, small air sacs in the lungs.

Don Gaver, a researcher and professor of biomedical engineering at the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering, tells us more about what this study found. 

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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!