Louisiana Considered

It’s Thursday and that means it’s time to catch up on the week in politics with The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. Today we discuss new security protocols for parades and new legislation about parade-goer encampments. 

“A cultural revolution on wheels.” That’s how the Krewe of Alla describes its Mardi Gras parade this year. Named in honor of Algiers, Louisiana, the 93-year-old New Orleans Krewe rolled this week, and at its helm were Gian Durand and James Carter, the krewe’s first ever Black Queen and King. 

Durand and Carter spoke with WRKF’s Karen Henderson about their  historic first.

If you’ve ever woken up at dawn on Mardi Gras day and gone to see the Krewe of Skull and Bones in the Treme Neighborhood, then you might recognize Voodoo Queen Kalindah Laveaux blessing the morning. Or perhaps you recognize her from the Mardi Gras Indian tribe, the Yellow Pocahontas or for holding community rituals on Sundays with her snake in Congo Square. 

As a local New Orleanian and descendant of local legends, Queen Kalindah brings spiritualism and cultural traditions to the city, year round. She joins us to discuss  the spiritual underpinnings of Fat Tuesday, and give a drum performance alongside Lola Bolivar. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical 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!

Anxieties are high at schools and churches after moves by the Trump Administration suggested these institutions could be visited by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE). .

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Kat Stromquist spoke with Nora Ahmed, legal director of the ACLU of Louisiana, to explain immigrants’ Constitutional rights. 

In a special legislative session late last year, Louisiana passed a sweeping overhaul to its tax system year that saw the state income tax slashed to a flat tax rate and increased the rates of the state sales tax.

Some have said the new tax system is a very modest improvement, while others find it regressive. Neva Butkus, senior policy analyst at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy Others, tells us why this system has problematic implications for state budget stability. 

As we celebrate Carnival season here in Louisiana, we’re taking a moment to focus on one integral part of the scene– parade throws. They have a long history, not only through Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but going back long before New Orleans existed.

The Historic New Orleans Collection will be holding talks today through Saturday that outline the colorful history of Mardi Gras parade throws. Interpreter with the Historic New Orleans Collection Kurt Owens tells us more. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. 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!

Plastic beads remain a staple at most big Carnival parades, but there’s a growing number of New Orleans krewes that want to ban them due to environmental concerns. Producer Matt Bloom went to the Krewe of Freret’s parade, where leaders made plastic beads off limits for the first time – and found some eco-friendly alternatives. 

“Back to the Future: The Musical”, Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Great Gatsby” headline the 2025-26 Broadway season in New Orleans. David Skinner, general manager at the Saenger Theatre, tells us all about the musicals on deck for the upcoming season.  

Horses are a staple of Mardi Gras parades, but sometimes those horses don’t have a place to go after the parades are over. But the Humane Society of Louisiana has a program to help these horses get adopted, complete with a Facebook page with pictures of the horses looking for homes. 

HSLA board member Rena Sweeney tells us more about the Mardi Gras Horse Adoption program and volunteer opportunities.

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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 getting an update on the latest news in Acadiana. Editor and founder of The Current, Christiaan Mader tells us about an upcoming special election, a new mental health hospital, and Mardi Gras in Lafayette. 

It’s been about a month and a half since Sid Edwards took office as East Baton Rouge Mayor-President. The election result came as a big surprise when he upset Democratic incumbent, Sharon Weston-Broome, becoming the first Republican to lead the city in over two decades.

Edwards spoke with Capitol Access reporter Brooke Thorington about his first month in office, current projects, long-term goals and tension over library funding.

Sports competitions are not just for the young. The Southwest Louisiana Senior Games is a competition for those 50 and older with a variety of athletic, recreational, and social activities. It kicks off in April at the McNeese State University Recreational Complex in Lake Charles.

Rosalind Berry, administrative director of the Calcasieu Council on Aging and Vera Minix, one of the athletes, tell us more about the upcoming competitions and how to participate. 

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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!

When Donald Trump was elected president in November, one of his main campaign platforms was cracking down on immigration, calling for the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. Since taking office, he’s proposed an order ending birthright citizenship and issued the first flight of undocumented immigrants to Guantanamo Bay.

Hiroko Kusuda, clinic professor and director of the immigration law section at the Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law tells us how families should prepare for potential ICE raids.

Fifty years ago, 17-year-old Phil Fricano worked to desegregate his high school Mardi Gras ball. Two years later, he helped form the Krewe of King Arthur – one of the first Mardi Gras krewes to be integrated from the very beginning. Now, he’s preparing for his 48th year as the krewe’s captain.

He joins us to discuss  the krewe’s history, how it’s working to be accessible for riders with disabilities, and he’s looking forward to during Sunday’s parade.

New Orleans Mardi Gras is nothing without its massive parades with masked revelers throwing beads from large floats. But because of the New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street, the city is requiring more police officers on routes— which means higher costs. 

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins reports on how smaller, independent parades are vital in New Orleans — and how these costs impact them.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Ryan Vasquez. 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!

Over the weekend, the acclaimed sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live celebrated 50 years on the air! While the show is filmed at 30 Rockefeller plaza in Manhattan, it does have some interesting ties to New Orleans. Original cast member Garrett Morris is a born and raised New Orleanian, who made a special appearance at last weekend's reunion show. The Crescent City also claimed Vance Degeneres, the voice of claymation character Mr. Bill, and a more recent player, Punkie Johnson.

But what many do not know is that Saturday Night Live once filmed an episode in New Orleans –  or at least, they tried to. Although cast members were scattered throughout the city, parade delays, technology failures and general Mardi Gras mayhem made for one of the most chaotic shows in SNL's history.

David Cuthbert, is a longtime New Orleans reporter who covered the event for The Times Picayune back in 1977. He joins us to share his SNL memories.

It’s Thursday and that means it’s time to catch up on the week in politics with The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. She joins us for the latest in the New Orleans mayor’s race and the election for Orleans Parish Sheriff.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical 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, 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 ranking on the Nation’s Report Card – a standardized test to measure academic performance of students across the country – climbed again last month. The state now ranks 32nd out of all 50 states and three jurisdictions. This is quite the climb from before the pandemic when Louisiana ranked 49th. 

Education reporter Aubri Juhasz breaks down the results and what this says about the direction of our state’s education system.

In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, many downtown New Orleans businesses were expecting a big uptick in patrons and profits, considering an estimated 125,000 visitors flocked to the city. But according to many local business owners, the Super Bowl didn’t spur an economic boost –  some say they even saw fewer patrons than usual.

Scott Wood, owner and head brewer at Courtyard Brewery, and Remy Diamond, owner of C’Mere NOLA, a food, jewelry and art shop in the French Quarter, tell us more about the lack of Super Bowl-related economic activity. 

It's time to file your taxes. At least, you'll have to file sometime before the state deadline of May 15. Capitol Access reporter Brooke Thorington spoke with Louisiana Department of Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson about  when and how to start filing. 

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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 was set to have a big 2025. The city hosted the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras season is especially long this year, stretching all the way into March. But the terrorism attack on New Year's Day has business owners worried about what will happen to the tourism they rely on.

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Stephan Bisaha caught up with some in the French Quarter to hear how they’re preparing for what’s usually the busy season. 

The New Orleans Museum of Art has a new chief curator. Anne Collins Smith comes to NOMA after serving as director of the Xavier University of Louisiana Art Gallery. 

The New Orleans native joins us for more on curatorial history and her new role, leading exhibition initiatives with a focus on the museum’s modern and contemporary art. 

The New Orleans-based Musaica Chamber Ensemble continues its 19th season, Hidden Treasures, in concert tonight. The company is presenting, “French Connections,” with works by Ravel, Saint-Saens and others. 

Musaica violist and president Bruce Owen shares  more about this musical journey. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. 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, 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!

There has been a flurry of legal activity since Gov. Jeff Landry established protocols to use nitrogen gas to execute people sentenced to death. Judges have set execution dates for at least two people on death row in Louisiana. Greg LaRose, the editor at the Louisiana Illuminator tells us about challenges to the new method. 

As New Orleans still recovers from the Super Bowl, we wanted to have a conversation about food waste. Super Bowl-related events are typically responsible for thousands of pounds of food waste, but this year, the Food Recovery Network, along with student volunteers from Tulane and LSU, recovered over 12,000 pounds of unused food, and donated it to the New Orleans Mission, a shelter for unhoused Louisianans. 

Regina Harmon, the executive director of the Food Recovery Network, and John Proctor, the food service director for the New Orleans Mission, tell us about working together to repurpose unused food. 

A new documentary from VICE takes a deep dive into Cajun Mardi Gras. The film, “Vice’s Guide to Mardi Gras,” offers viewers insight into carnival traditions in more rural areas of the state, showing how they contrast with the glitzy spectacle in New Orleans. 

The documentary’s host and producer, Jackson Garrett, and Jourdan Thibodeaux, a local musician featured in the film, tell us more about Acadian Mardi Gras traditions.

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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, 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!

More and more Americans face the threat of flooding. And as a country, we are woefully unprepared. Cities like Charleston and Miami already see routine coastal flooding. Hurricane Helene recently hammered many inland communities with flooding. And the risk is only rising.

FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) sells about 90% of the nation's flood insurance policies, but only a small percentage of Americans are covered. In an effort to account for climate change, expand coverage, and make the NFIP more "fair," FEMA recently overhauled its flood insurance program. It's called Risk Rating 2.0, and the sweeping changes are proving to be highly controversial.

In this episode, we talk to Rebecca Elliott, author of Underwater, about how the story of American flood insurance is really a story about people and our values as a nation.

For more resources about flood insurance and Risk Rating 2.0, check out the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance.

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This episode was hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and Eva Tesfaye. 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 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 and The Water Collaborative. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.