Louisiana Considered

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 she gives us a preview of the upcoming state legislative session and Gov. Landry’s agenda. 

Earlier this week, a run of “Hamilton” began at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. The Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of the founding of the United States with a cast made up almost entirely of people of color.

Nathan Haydel, the actor who plays John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in this production has a deep connection to New Orleans. He joins us to discuss his journey into musical theater, and the influence of his great grandparents and legendary New Orleans chefs, Leah and Dooky Chase

There’s been a lot of coastal news out of Plaquemines Parish over the last week. The parish won its lawsuit against Chevron over damages to coastal wetlands, and the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project was suspended for 90 days. 

WWNO’s coastal reporter Eva Tesfaye joins us to explain what happens next. 

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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!

The Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) remain in the headlines for threatening to cut funding and personnel for a myriad of federal programs. Even in situations in which funding and employees have been reinstated, the pauses continue to have real-world consequences across America.

Robert Collins, a political analyst and professor of urban studies and public policy at Dillard University, tells us how these cuts and freezes are impacting some parts of the U.S. more than others – in particular, red states and rural areas. 

A series of genetic testing on seafood served across Louisiana revealed that multiple restaurants are serving foreign-grown shrimp, while presenting it as domestically-produced seafood – which is against the law. This is a violation of Louisiana’s seafood labelling law. SeaD Consulting has been conducting tests across the Gulf South and sharing its results. 

Its founder, commercial fishery scientist David Williams, tells us more about their findings and what they means for the state of the seafood industry.

A coffee roaster and distributor in New Orleans is celebrating 100 years of business. To mark the occasion, managing producer Alana Schreiber paid a visit to Try-Me Coffee to learn what goes into making the perfect cup.

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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!

New Orleans has a new superintendent of schools. Last week, the Orleans Parish School Board selected Fateama Fulmore, the district’s former deputy superintendent, to take on the role. 

Aubri Juhasz, education reporter for WWNO and WRKF, tells us more about the system’s new leader and what challenges lie ahead is 

This year, the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The production company honors the life of the legendary playwright , who wrote some of his most famous works while living in the Crescent City.

Founding Co-Artistic Director Augustin Correro tells us more about this milestone, along with actors Benjamin Dougherty and Leslie Claverie who star in the company’s latest production, "Orpheus Descending.”

This weekend, the annual French Quarter Fest returns to the heart of New Orleans. The four-day celebration features local musical groups and out of town guests, as well as a variety of food selections. 

Festival CEO and president Emily Madero joins us with the details. 

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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, President Trump issued sweeping tariffs on goods coming into the United States, with a 10% tariff across the board and higher duties on imports from certain trading partners – specifically Asian countries. 

While administration officials argued the tariffs would eventually lead to more manufacturing jobs returning to the US, many critics say this will significantly raise the price of goods and slow the country’s economy. 

Blake Paterson, reporter for the Times-Picayune/The Advocate, tells us more about how these tariffs will likely impact Louisiana businesses and consumers. 

When you think about pollution, cars and planes are the most harmful modes of transportation.  That’s something former Coastal Desk reporter Halle Parker really cares about. So when she traveled home to New Orleans from  Chicago, she decided to reduce her carbon emissions — and try out the train. Today, we hear how it went.

Marginalized communities often have to bear the brunt of environmental injustices, while also coming up with their own solutions. An annual conference in New Orleans has celebrated the role students play in addressing climate change. 

Danny McArthur of the Gulf States Newsroom attended the conference to report on how the region  is growing the next generation of changemakers.

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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 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to replace a 100-year-old canal lock that connects the Mississippi River to the Industrial Canal in the Lower Ninth Ward. The project has an estimated timeline of 13 years and a budget of more than $1 billion. Also in the works is a plan to build a $30 million grain terminal in Holy Cross.

These projects are concerning residents, who worry they could lead to flooding,pollution and other issues. Sam Bowler, organizer with The Canal Will Kill NOLA, tells us how community members are fighting back, including their upcoming 5K race to raise awareness. 

Since Donald Trump took office in January, his administration has made major cuts to national government agencies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is no exception. The administration has fired four senior FEMA senior officials, reduced staffing by 84 percent and declared they would, “get rid of FEMA the way it exists today.”

Sarah Labowitz, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, tells us how these changes could dramatically alter how Gulf states prepare for and respond to natural disasters. 

A new collection of essays, art and poetry by men incarcerated at the Mississippi State Penitentiary -- best known as Parchman Farm -- is shedding light on one of the country's most notorious prison units. For The Gulf States Newsroom, Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Michael McEwen tells us how this effort began shortly after the most violent period in Parchman's history. 

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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 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 we hear about Speaker Mike Johnson’s resistance to a bill that would allow new parents in Congress to vote by proxy – and why he seems to be losing this battle.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, only about 9% of plastics are recycled, and those tend to be low-value, meaning the high costs of recycling doesn’t yield good returns. This is because many plastics have chemical additives to make them fire resistant – and nearly impossible to recycle.

But one current and one former LSU professor are creating a low-cost way to break down plastics, possibly saving billions of dollars in recycling costs, and helping eliminate billions of tons of plastic pollution.

LSU Chemical Engineering Professor Kerry Dooley, the co-inventor, joins us to discuss  this new initiative. 

The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board is integral to the city’s survival, but the name brings images of torn-up streets, long wait times, antiquated power systems, and embarrassing scandals. So why would someone take the job of running such an organization? 

Ghassan Korban is stepping down from his position as executive director of the Sewerage and Water Board. He joins us to explain why he took on this role, his attempts to modernize the systems during his tenure and what he thinks the organization will need for long-term improvement. 

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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!

Over the weekend, the City of St. George voted for its leaders. Interim Mayor Dustin Yates was officially elected, as were city council members who took office unopposed or won their elections. 

Still, the election wasn’t quite the outcome city officials hoped for, when voters rejected the proposed home rule charter.  Patrick Sloan-Turner, political reporter for The Advocate tells us about the irony behind this vote and what happens next.

The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has led to a string of arrests at colleges and universities. Across the country, immigration officials are targeting foreign students and professors, detaining them and often revoking their visas despite their legal statuses. While many had been involved in pro-Palestinian activism, some say their involvement was limited to online posts – or they had no traceable involvement at all. 

New Orleans immigration attorney Marco Balducci tells us more about what this says about First Amendment rights – or lack thereof – for non-citizens. 

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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!

Over the weekend, Louisiana voters rejected all four constitutional amendments backed by Gov. Jeff Landry. Turnout for the election was almost twice as high as anticipated, and the governor is blaming liberal donors. 

Louisiana Illuminator senior reporter Julie O’Donoghue tells us why the proposals failed and what it reveals about voters’ views on the governor. 

The New Orleans Opera’s reimagined presentation of Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love,” brings cowboy culture to the stage. The performance reimagines the classic comedy opera with an Old West theme.

New Orleans-born soprano Lindsey Reynolds tells us more about this production, and taking on the role of the leading lady.

This weekend, the city archives and special collections at the New Orleans Public Library present the second annual GenFest. This event brings together genealogical, historical, and cultural preservationists from across southeastern Louisiana.

Christina Bryant, director of the City Archives & Special Collections, and Amanda Fallis, archivist at the New Orleans Public Library, tell us more about the event and how you can get involved.

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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 the last Monday of the month, so we’re checking in with our neighbors in Lafayette to get an update on the latest news in Acadiana. Christiaan Mader, founder and editor of The Current, tells us why a federal broadband program meant to expand internet access in the Lafayette area is now on hold. We also hear about an upcoming conference of mid-size cities coming to the region this spring.  

If you’re a parent, you likely understand these words: It. Goes. So. Fast. That’s the title of a new book, by NPR reporter and co-host of All Things Considered, Mary Louise Kelly. 

Kelly joins us to talk about her new memoir, which is about balancing her  career with parenting and the mixed emotions one feels when kids flee the nest. 

Coastal Desk reporter  Halle Parker said goodbye to WWNO and WRKF last week. During her time at the stations, Halle reported on environmental issues across the Gulf South and co-created and co-hosted the climate podcast, Sea Change. Now, she’s heading to Verite News to work as a health reporter. 

Halle joins us to reflect on her career and biggest reporting moments. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. 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 time on Louisiana Considered, we learned about the nearly century-old bond between the oil and gas industry and one university — LSU. In the second and final episode of our series, "Fueling Knowledge," we look at how much money is flowing into universities and what the industry may hope to get in return. This relationship comes with big benefits: student mentors, scholarships, research funding, and new buildings, among others. But is all that money truly free? No strings? Or could it be part of a corporate playbook to help keep the industry alive?

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This episode is hosted by Floodlight's Pam Radke and Halle Parker. This episode was reported by Halle Parker, Pam Radtke, and Piper Hutchinson of the Louisiana Illuminator. It was edited by Johanna Zorn and Carlyle Calhoun, with additional help from Ryan Vasquez, Rosemary Westwood, Greg Larose, and Dee Hall. The episode was fact-checked by Garrett Hazelwood. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste and our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. Carlyle Calhoun is our managing producer.

Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.