Louisiana Considered

Most Americans don’t want data centers built near their homes. But jobs can be a selling point, even if they’re temporary.

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Aubri Juhasz visited a community college near the Richland Parish Meta data center that’s helping locals get hired.

A grocery store dating back to the 1930s sat vacant in the Holy Cross neighborhood of New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward for more than 20 years. But last month, the site officially reopened as Shiloh Gardens Academy, a new preschool for children in the area who often have limited access to early childhood education. 

Pamela Marshall, Owner of Shiloh Gardens Academy, tells us more about expanding childcare and schooling opportunities in the area.

“Flamboyants!”, a documentary theater experience exploring Creole culture, is coming to Louisiana this month. The show is a collaboration between New Orleans, Puerto Rico and the island of Réunion — each of which has robust and distinct Creole traditions. 

Big Chief Juan Pardo, leader of the Golden Comanche Black Masking Indian tribe, is featured in the show. He joins us alongside the show's director, playwright, and performer, Florient Joussee.

__

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. Our intern is Ryann Goldberg.

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!

Air conditioning is a critical tool in the fight against extreme heat, but new research finds many New Orleans residents fear using it due to high energy costs. 

The study published in June in the Journal of Urban Health found that even when New Orleans residents had air conditioning units, they struggled to keep the temperature in their homes under 80 degrees overnight.  

Public health reporter for Verite News, Halle Parker, has been covering this story. She joins us with the latest. 

Louisiana is facing a massive shortage of wound care facilities and providers. Without this essential treatment, patients are left vulnerable, and more likely to develop conditions like sepsis. 

Dr. William Tettlebach, president of the American Professional Wound Care Association recently wrote a column about this issue in The Times-Picayune. He tells us how Medicaid cuts helped lead to this issue, and what patient advocates can do now. 

It’s football season, and LSU has been all over the headlines as the university was nearly kicked out of the SEC after head coach Lane Kiffin attempted to add former NFL players to the roster. But that’s far from the only scandal to rock the school’s football program.

In the late 1950s, Billy Cannon put the purple and gold on the map. He helped the school win a national championship and even won the Heisman Trophy, but then, a counterfeiting scheme landed him in prison. After two and a half years behind bars, he went back to prison, only this time as a dentist who was also in charge of improving medical care at Angola. 

Louisiana Public Broadcasting is out with a new documentary, titled “Circles: The Life of Billy Cannon.” It premieres tonight at 7pm. Executive producers Linda Midgett and Jay Dardenne join us with more, alongside Billy’s daughter, Bunnie Cannon. 

—

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!

Throughout the Western history of conservation, protecting nature has often meant removing people. It's what happened during the creation of many of America's national parks. But what if protecting nature didn't have to mean displacing the people who call it home? That's the question that brings us to Culatra, a small fishing island off Portugal's southern coast, and one of the country's seven natural wonders.

For decades, the Portuguese government saw only one way to save the fragile lagoon surrounding Culatra: kick out the residents. This episode follows one woman's decades-long fight for her island — and the unlikely alliance she built along the way with the very scientists once sent to evict her. We hear her story, today on the second episode of Sea Change.

CREDITS

This episode was reported and produced by Geert Vlieger. Sound design also by Geert. Johanna Zorn edited the episode with help from Executive Producer Carlyle Calhoun. Fado was performed on acoustic guitar by Ricardo Martins and Cláudio Sousa. All other music in the episode is composed and produced by Geert. Sea Change’s theme music is by Jon Batiste.

Production of this episode was made possible with support from the Walden Collective and Sciaena, and funding from the European Union’s Big Green Project. One brief update: Valentina Munoz is now in Lisbon and is no longer working for the NGO, but hopes to continue working on community-based ocean protection programs.

Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. And to help others find our podcast, please share this episode with a friend!

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.

Mardi Gras parades will come with a new cost, as the New Orleans City Council unanimously approved a tiered fee system that requires krewes to pay different amounts based on parade size.

WWNO Intern Jocelyn Burgess spoke with those involved in Mardi Gras krewes. She joins us with more on the potential impacts 

The 16 leaders of the SEC are meeting today to discuss the ongoing controversy surrounding LSU football, after head coach Lane Kiffin attempted to add former NFL players to the team’s roster. While expulsion from the conference is now off the table, they are considering penalizing the university. 

Baton Rouge Advocate reporter Reed Darcey has been following this story closely and joins us with the latest. 

The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board needs to replace hundreds of miles of decaying pipe, but the utility doesn’t have the money for the initiative. Recently passed legislation now gives the city government greater control over the utility, but it is unclear exactly what that will look like. 

President and CEO of the Bureau of Governmental Research Rebecca Mowbray joins us with more. 

__

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber, and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. Our intern is Ryann Goldberg. 

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 is offering SpaceX one of the biggest tax incentive packages ever put together for a single development project.

The state and local governments are giving the company an estimated $27.5 billion in tax breaks and other incentives to build a massive rocket launch facility in coastal Vermilion Parish. Most of that money — nearly $24 billion — comes from a 25-year property tax exemption.

So why was Louisiana willing to give up that much potential tax revenue to land SpaceX?

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins spoke with Louisiana Illuminator reporter Wes Muller, who dug into the deal and the documents behind it. 

Service dogs remain important for people who are visually impaired to access the essentials of daily life, both in the home and around the community. One organization that trains these service dogs and advocates for policy around accessibility has ranked Louisiana 16th best in the nation for service dog handler rights and protections.

Melissa Allman, an advocacy and government relations senior specialist with The Seeing Eye, tells us how guide dog access in Louisiana compares to other states. 

—

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!

Ursula Newell-Davis, a social worker, has spent two decades helping vulnerable Louisiana families. But when she tried to open a business to provide respite care for families in need, Louisiana’s Facility Need Review prohibited her. 

Now, she’s fighting the state to provide in-home respite under Louisiana’s Right to Earn a Living Act. 

Newell-Davis and her attorney, Samantha Romero-Drew, join us to discuss their fight and what it could mean for families across Louisiana.

The Musaica Chamber Ensemble is entering its 21st season with a change in leadership and a new lineup of chamber music performances across the New Orleans area. This season explores musical conversations across centuries and cultures, from Bach and Beethoven to living composers and music inspired by the Mississippi Delta. 

Musaica’s outgoing president Bruce Owen and ensemble member Josiah Bullach join us for a conversation on the transition and the season ahead.

Immigration courts are generally open to the public, with a few exceptions, like if the case involves a child or matters of national security. But local advocates say they sometimes face obstacles to court watching, and the problem is not just in Baton Rouge. 

WRKF’s Report for America Corps Member Alex Cox tells us more.

__

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!

It’s college football season and LSU returns to the field this weekend to face the other Tigers, Clemson. This will be the first season opener for Lane Kiffin as LSU’s head coach, after he came to the purple and gold last year mid-season, abruptly leaving his post at Ole Miss. 

Reporter for the Baton Rouge Advocate, Reed Darcey, joins us to preview the season. 

Throughout the Western history of conservation, protecting nature has often meant removing people. It's what happened during the creation of many of America's national parks. But what if protecting nature didn't have to mean displacing the people who call it home? That's the question that brings us to Culatra, a small fishing island off Portugal's southern coast, and one of the country's seven natural wonders.

For decades, the Portuguese government saw only one way to save the fragile lagoon surrounding Culatra: kick out the residents. This episode follows part one of a woman's decades-long fight for her island — and the unlikely alliance she built along the way with the very scientists once sent to evict her.

___

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!

On Wednesday, we discussed Governor Jeff Landry’s NDAs with SpaceX prior to announcing the company planned to build a new, massive facility in Vermilion Parish. Today, we’ll check in with The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace, to discuss the political implications of this partnership. 

St. Landry Parish is officially designated as the Horse Capital of Louisiana. But in recent years, the trails have become more violent, seeing an increase in reported shootings. This threatens a deeply rooted Southern tradition, one that, in particular, celebrates the legacy of Black cowboys.

Zeta McCaskill has been reporting on this uptick in violence for the Current. She joins us with the latest. 

The Saenger Theatre is gearing up for its 2026 season. Starting on September 22, touring Broadway shows will make their way to the Crescent City. Some shows, like the Sound of Music and Jersey Boys, might be familiar to listeners. While others, like The Outsiders and Just in Time, are newer hits.

General manager of the Saenger Theatre David Skinner joins us with the details. 

—

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!

For the past few weeks we’ve been discussing non-disclosure agreements signed by state lawmakers in regards to state development projects, namely Meta’s data center in Richland Parish. Recently, news broke that more officials signed NDAs about a new SpaceX site in Vermillion Parish. 

Gulf States Newsroom Reporter Drew Hawkins joins us with the latest. 

The team behind NPR’s student podcast challenge is heading in a new direction. The senior podcast challenge won’t focus on high school or college seniors, but zoom in on listeners who are 65 and older. The initiative asks  seniors to hit the record button and tell us their stories of family lore, finding love, funniest memories and hopes for the future.

Steve Drummond, NPR’s senior editor on the society and culture desk, and Janet Woojeong Lee, culture desk producer, joined Louisiana Considered producer Alana Schreiber for more.

—

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!

WWNO’s Culture Collision brings New Orleans’ arts and cultural organizations together for an evening designed to connect audiences with the city’s vibrant creative community. This year’s event takes place Wednesday Sept. 2, and gives people a chance to discover local organizations, learn about upcoming performances and programs and find new ways to engage with the arts. 

WWNO’s business manager and the coordinator of Culture Collision, Jameeta Youngblood, tells us more. 

Many of us have a relative who exists more as legend than history — the guy at the kitchen table stories get told about, whose legacy gets a little bigger every time. 

For Gulf States Newsroom intern Tanner O'Neal Riley, that relative is his grandfather, Sgt. Perry Robertson White. White was one of the first Black officers to serve in the New Orleans Police Department after it reopened its doors to Black officers in 1950. Riley never met him. By the time he was born, his grandfather had been gone a decade–and there was almost nothing on paper to remember his life and contributions. So, Riley spent five years finding his grandfather’s records.

He joins us now to discuss what he found, and what he learned about the reintegration of the NOPD.

__

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!