Louisiana Considered

It’s the end of the month and that means it’s time to catch up on the latest news from Acadiana. Christiaan Mader, founder and editor of The Current tells us how the Lafayette area fared with last week’s snow, and about an upcoming special election.

A once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm hit the South last week, breaking snowfall records dating back to 1895. Flights were canceled, schools were closed and many Louisianans engaged in their first-ever snowball fights or made their first snowmen!

But what does this rare blizzard say about our climate? State climatologist Jay Grimes explains how the historic snowfall affected agriculture and wildlife. 

This Saturday, ballet will meet flamenco for a reimagination of the classic opera Carmen. The New Orleans Ballet Association is presenting the work in conjunction with Ballet Hispanico, and the performance will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opera. 

Ballet Hispanico’s artistic director Eduardo Vilaro joins us for 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, 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!

The Super Bowl is coming to New Orleans in just a few weeks, and while the city is buzzing with excitement, the event also raises concerns about human trafficking.

The influx of visitors makes the annual event one of the largest for incidents of human trafficking in the country. According to recent data, there were at least 146 arrests related to human trafficking during the 2021 Super Bowl in Tampa. 

Brandi Bynum, Acting Unit Chief for the Center for Countering Human Trafficking at the Department of Homeland Security, tells us more. 

Two government advocacy groups with deep rooted histories have decided to merge. Council for A Better Louisiana and The Committee of 100 for Economic Development  have joined forces to create a new organization called Leaders for a Better Louisiana.

Barry Erwin, former president of CABL and now chief policy officer at Better Louisiana, and Adam Knapp, former CEO of C100 and now CEO of the new group, tell us more about why their groups are merging.

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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!

As 2024 comes to a close, we are taking this time to focus on hope. While this year has been rough for the climate and the environment in many ways, there is also so much good happening out there. There are wins to celebrate and reasons for optimism.

Today, Sea Change sits down with an expert on hope, and learn why evidence-based hope is essential in our fight against climate change.

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This episode is hosted by Halle Parker and Eva Tesfaye. Carlyle Calhoun is our 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're a 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. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

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 reports to us from Washington D.C., where she’s celebrating Mardi Gras in the nation’s capital where Carnival season meets politics. 

The Super Bowl is just weeks away, and city and state officials have been busy trying to get a huge beautification checklist done so the Crescent City can put on its best face for the nation.

Spearheading that effort from the private sector is CEO of Greater New Orleans INC and Super Bowl 59 Project Coordinator, Michael Hecht. He joins us with the updates. 

There are often big government attempts at breaking the cycle of poverty and crime. But one group called Anna’s Place is finding a way to succeed in New Orleans, working with economically disadvantaged youth. Founder and director Darryl Durham tells us more.

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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!

When Louisianans heard that snow was coming to our state, many were skeptical. But yesterday, a rare winter storm hit the Bayou State, with the blizzard causing highways, airports and schools to close down.

Meteorologist Dan Holiday discusses the record-breaking weather and what this says about a changing climate. 

A medical study is underway in Baton Rouge that could help determine whether a common diabetes drug could be used to stop muscle weakness associated with cancer treatment.

While the drug isn’t new, its effectiveness in cancer patients is still being tested. 

Justin Brown, associate professor and director of the Cancer Metabolism Program at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, is the director of this study. He joins us for more.  

On Feb. 9, New Orleans will host the Super Bowl for the 11th time, tied with Miami for the most hosted by any city. As we get closer to the 59th annual event, we thought we would take a look at the Super Bowls of years past and hear about some of the most iconic games in New Orleans.

Mark Cave, senior historian with the Historic New Orleans Collection walks us through the biggest games, the best performances, and the two blackouts – one for the media and one for the lights. 

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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!

New Orleans is gearing up for the Super Bowl, and Gov. Jeff  Landry announced his administration will begin clearing homeless encampments downtown, moving some unhoused residents to a warehouse in Gentilly and others out of state. 

The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s Sophie Kasakove joins us for more.  

The flu virus is surging nationwide, with positive test rates reaching higher than 18% in early January. This winter, we’ve also seen spikes in RSV and COVID-19. 

Dr. Susan Hassig, epidemiologist at Tulane University, tells us more about the viruses going around – and how to stay safe.

The 6th iteration of Prospect New Orleans, a triennial citywide exhibition of contemporary art, will soon close. . Prospect.6: The Future Is Present, The Harbinger Is Home features artists from Louisiana and around the world, and puts New Orleans in the  global spotlight. 

Prospect.6's co-artistic director, Miranda Lash, and programming director, Denise Frazier, tell us more about the exhibit and how to see it.

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

A diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is difficult for anyone to hear. But that was especially the case for Joe Redmond, a music executive from Denham Springs who spent his career in radio. While he is losing his voice, Joe has been determined to take advantage of all the opportunities he has, including working with the Team Gleason organization, and a new caregiving program called Pathfinders. 

Redmond joins us today more on his career, his diagnosis and the vital role that caregivers play in the lives of ALS patients. 

The New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street left many New Orleanians worried about the city’s security. But for many of the area’s Muslims, they’re concerned about increased discrimination and anti-Muslim sentiment. 

Verite News reporter Safura Syed tells us more about the rise in Islamophobia and how local mosques are responding. 

The truck attack on Bourbon Street has led some residents to call for better pedestrian security in the French Quarter. Some even want parts of the Quarter to be pedestrian-only — no cars allowed. Earlier this week we heard from Chris Olsen, French Quarter resident and business owner with a petition to ban cars on her certain blocks. 

WWNO’s Matt Bloom spoke with Olson and a few others those behind this new push. 

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

Just after 3 a.m. on New Years Day, pedicab driver Tyler Burt was finishing his shift, when a white SUV turned the corner of Bourbon and Canal Street, running over the man he had been high-fiving as the truck rammed down the street. 

In his first trip back to the French Quarter since the attack, Burt spoke with the Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins about what he saw and how he’s coping. 

Concerns over security failures have been a major part of the conversation ever since the Bourbon street attack. Bollards, the steel beams embedded in the ground meant to protect pedestrians from vehicle attacks, were not in place on New Year's Eve. City crews were in the process of installing new ones ahead of the Super Bowl.

Louisiana Considered’s Alana Schreiber spoke with Juliette Kayyem, a national security expert and senior lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School. They discussed why security on Bourbon Street was so ineffective and what needs to be done about it.

While Louisianans still have questions about what happened, many are focused on recovery efforts. In the days since the attack, blood drives have popped up across the city and thousands are coming out to donate.

Alana Schreiber visited one of those blood drives on the corner of Iberville and Canal Street to speak with residents who want to play a part in recovery efforts.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber and Drew Hawkins. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. 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, 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!

There’s a shortage of specialized nurses who play a critical role in providing care to sexual assault survivors. Particularly in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. They are called sexual assault nurse examiners — or SANEs.

As Drew Hawkins reports for the Gulf States Newsroom, one potential solution is to use telemedicine — but it’s currently not available in the Gulf South.

College textbooks are expensive. You might already know this if you’ve been to college, but prices have accelerated just in the last few years. And while tuition hikes and admission practices often create barriers of entry to higher education, sometimes it’s that are prohibitively expensive, as they’re often not covered by scholarships. 

As the spring semester gets into swing at schools across Louisiana, we found ourselves interested in efforts LSU is taking to address the accelerating problem of college textbook prices. Allen LeBlanc, Open Scholarship Librarian, at LSU Libraries tells us more about solutions.

In June 2024, researchers released a medical study involving one Out Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. It looked at techniques for intubating patients, the practice putting a tube down your throat to provide ventilation, is something that's generally done when you're in critical condition. 

The trial involved Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge as well as other ERs and ICUs across the nation. They’re using a BPAP, a bilevel positive airway pressure machine.

Dr. Christopher Thomas is a pulmonary critical care specialist at the hospital. He tells us more about this study, what researchers are hoping to find, and the results of a new airway pressure machine. 

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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!

The Super Bowl is coming to New Orleans in less than a month. And this year’s logo was recently revealed, featuring the work of New Orleans artist Queen Tahj. She is the first artist to handcraft a Super Bowl logo and her design honors New Orleans artistic traditions, with specific nods to Black Masking Indians. 

She joins us more about her design — and her time playing football as captain of the middle school team. 

The Historic New Orleans Collection is gearing up for its 17th Musical Louisiana series, this time featuring a performance of the earliest known surviving full-length opera written by a Black American composer. Edmond Dédé’s ”Morgiane” from 1887 will be performed by Givonna Joseph, co-founder of Opera Créole.

Joseph, along with HNOC’s director of audience engagement, Amanda McFillen, tell us more about this upcoming production. 

Louisiana has a long history with the French language. And while most Louisianans no longer speak it, a growing number want their kids to learn. The question is: what kind of French?

Education reporter Aubri Juhasz takes us to a school down the bayou that’s taking a novel approach — by teaching students to talk like their grandparents. 

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