Louisiana Considered

Earlier this year, the 10-parish regional economic development nonprofit, GNO, Inc. celebrated its 20th anniversary. The organization has been working to make the area more attractive to businesses. President and CEO Michael Hecht tells us more about what the group has accomplished over the last two decades.

Throughout the summer and fall, Elias Camacho, founder of the media company, The Rambler, traveled throughout the New Orleans area, interviewing some of the city’s favorite artists, chefs, culture bearers and all-around icons. His documentary series, “NOLA in Focus,”highlights the individuals and communities that make this city so unique. 

Elias joined WWNO’s Alana Schreiber in the studio to share more about this project. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. 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!

If you’re a homeowner, you’re probably already familiar with the conditions imposed on insurance deductibles when disaster strikes. Cities and towns also have insurance for their losses when the weather gets destructive.

Now, mayors along the Mississippi River are piloting a new insurance experiment to better help communities recover after disasters.

Delaney Dryfoos, environmental reporter for the Lens Nola, has been covering this story for the Mississippi River Basin Ag and Water Desk and joins us for more.

This was a busy year in politics – yes we had the presidential election, but Louisiana had some pretty noteworthy political happenings as well. Gov. Jeff Landry and lawmakers overhauled the state's tax code, and Republican Sid Edwards was elected to be the next mayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish,  ending a 20-year streak for Democrats. 

Yesterday, we brought you Part 1 of Capitol Access reporter Brooke Thorington’s “politics year in review” with LSU political science professor Robert Hogan. Today we hear the second part, and discuss what's on the horizon for future office seekers in Louisiana.

Guaranteed income is the idea that to help some people in need, governments should give them cash, no strings attached. It’s long been a pipe dream for many welfare reformers. And in recent years, that dream has been given test runs in cities across the U.S. and here in the South.

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Stephan Bisaha and WWNO’s Aubri Juhasz have been covering the movement. They caught up to discuss how these recent pilots went.

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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!

Grammy-award winning Cajun fiddler Louis Michot is headed to New Orleans for a solo performance. The member of the Lost Bayou Ramblers will combine his love of Louisiana French music with new boundary-pushing sounds in his latest work, Rêve du Troubadour . 

He joins us for more on his upcoming performance and adding a modern spin to traditional Cajun music.

2024 was a memorable year for politics, nationally and locally. WRKF’s Capitol Access Reporter Brooke Thorington spoke with LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Robert Hogan about Gov. Jeff Landry’s first year in office, the upcoming transition of closed primaries and how the 6th Congressional District will affect the state.

The holiday season is upon us, and it feels like everywhere you go, you’re surrounded by Christmas music. But in recent years, musicians have found creative ways to adapt these traditional songs for new genres.

Yesterday, we brought you the sounds of country artist Sammy Kershaw’s Cajun Christmas. Today, we’ll hear how the New Birth Brass Band is mixing Christmas classics with New Orleans jazz and funk for a lively march-along. 

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

A second group of Baton Rouge-area school bus workers, this time in Zachary, recently voted to join a union. 

They include bus drivers, mechanics and other student transportation workers employed by one of the nation’s largest student transportation companies.

The union, a local chapter of Amalgamated Transit Union, already represents some other local public transit workers.

Charles Lussier, an education reporter for The Advocate, tells us what these workers are fighting for. 

A new podcast out of Fletcher Technical Community College, in Terrebonne Parish, dives into the heart of the Bayou Region. Dubbed “Bridging the Bayou,” the series highlights the people, industries and community efforts driving growth and transformation in South Louisiana.

Podcast host and chancellor at Fletcher Community College, Kristine Strickland, joins us for more on the show and its mission.

The holiday season is upon us, and it feels like everywhere you go, there’s Christmas music. And in recent years, musicians have found creative ways to adapt these traditional songs for new genres.

Back in 2012, NPR’s David Greene spoke with country musician Sammy Kershaw, about his Cajun-inspired Christmas album.

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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!

Earlier this week, a nonprofit watchdog filed a complaint asking Louisiana’s Attorney General to investigate whether a crisis pregnancy center in New Iberia broke state law. The pregnancy center allegedly posted clients’ personal information online, despite claiming that it follows federal health privacy laws.

WWNO/WRKF broke the story, and reporter Rosemary Westwood joins us for more.

About half of jobs in New Orleans are considered “mid-skill.” That means you need a high school degree, but probably not a bachelor’s. It’s good news for teenagers who don’t want to go to college, or who are ready to just start working. 

Education reporter Aubri Juhasz visits a career center that’s preparing kids for all kinds of jobs that don’t require college education. 

The Upstairs Lounge fire in New Orleans in 1973 remains one of the country’s deadliest attacks on the LGBTQ community. In the decades since, a bronze plaque in the French Quarter has listed the 32 victims who died when an arsonist set fire to the neighborhood gay bar.

But earlier this year, that plaque was stolen. A New Orleans man has been caught and arrested. But the original marker remains missing.

Now a group of local activists is working to get a new memorial installed at the Upstairs Lounge site. WWNO and WRKF’s Matt Bloom spoke with Frank Perez, one of their leaders. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. 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 pm. 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/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. Today on @LAConsidered, we break down the upset in the Baton Rouge mayor-president race, and why a parish that went blue in November elected a Republican one month later.

The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) is gearing up for a star-studded milestone celebration, the 20th annual “Home for the Holidays” Concert. The event features artists like Irma Thomas, Kermit Ruffins and the Rebirth Brass Band, and raises money to support rising artists with scholarships. 

Adonis Rose, Grammy award-winning musician and executive director of NOCCA, joins us with the details.

The Xavier University of Louisiana has been mourning the loss of one of their greatest pioneers, Dr. J. W. Carmichael. Having worked at Xavier for over four decades, primarily as a pre-med advisor for undergraduates, Carmichael is largely credited with putting the school’s medical program on the map.

WWNO’s Bob Pavlovich spoke with Quo Vadis Webster, director of Xavier’s pre-med program, to learn more about Camichael’s life and legacy. 

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

Sea levels are rising across the country, and different areas are coming up with creative solutions to address the issue. 

Last week, we brought you the first part of the latest episode of Sea Change, where we learned how eastern and western cities are grappling with the issue. Today, in part two of the episode, we travel to the Gulf South to see how residents are gearing up for rising waters.

In New Orleans, a Gentilly hairstylist and political newcomer, Gabriela Biro, is running against Eric “Doc” Jones, longtime education consultant, for an open seat on the city’s school board. 

Education reporter Aubri Juhasz spoke with Biro about her decision to run and changes she wants to make to the school system. Jones was invited to participate in the interview, but didn’t respond to multiple requests.

And Safura Syed of Verite News joins the show to discuss her reporting looking at discrepancies in Jones’ resume. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. 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!

Baton Rouge voters will decide between the leadership of incumbent Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome or political newcomer Sid Edwards in this Saturday’s runoff election. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune editorial director and columnist Stephanie Grace joins us to discuss the final days of the race.

The Symphony Chorus of New Orleans is preparing for holiday performances of Handel’s “Messiah” oratorio, which ends with the famous “Hallelujah” chorus. SCNO Music Director Steven Edwards spoke with WWNO/WRKF’s Diane Mack about the work’s enduring popularity and what concertgoers can expect at the performances next weekend.

Voters will decide Saturday on a set of four ballot measures proposing amendments to the state constitution. These measures dig into some fairly arcane functions of state government, including how municipalities execute tax sales of properties and how the state legislature extends budget debates. 

WWNO/WRKF’s Adam Vos spoke with Barry Erwin, President and CEO of Council for a Better Louisiana, about why these decisions are being made by popular vote rather than in the Legislature.

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!

Sea level rise is this big, scary reality. We’re always hearing predictions from scientists that the oceans will swallow islands, flood major cities, and wipe out huge stretches of coastline. The longer we burn fossil fuels, the bigger the surge. It sounds apocalyptic on this huge, global scale.

But also totally abstract – it’s hard to picture. What will it mean for the sea to rise two feet… 4 feet…even 7 feet by the end of the century?

Turns out, it depends where you look.

In the first part of this episode, we’re going to drop in two communities on America’s coasts, each coming up with their own set of solutions to the water that is slowly consuming their edges.

The holiday season has officially begun, and for many it's a time of reflection. For others, it's a time to think about the future. Be Loud Studios is a New Orleans nonprofit that amplifies kid confidence through radio production. Be Loud recently spoke with students Kiley Williams, Jha'kyla Joseph, Christina Lamison, and Christaney Williams at the NET Central City High School about their thoughts about the future.

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This episode was hosted and co-reported by Halle Parker. The episode was reported in collaboration with Ezra David Romero of KQED in San Francisco and Katherine Hafner of WHRO in Norfolk, Virginia. Editing by Jack Rodolico with additional editing help from Carlyle Calhoun and Eve Abrams. 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 are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. To help others find our podcast, please hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

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.

You can reach the Sea Change team at [email protected].

Louisiana’s legislature recently wrapped up its special session on tax reform. We’ve been reporting on the play-by-play as the House and Senate wrangle with proposals to adjust the income tax rate, expand the sales tax and make other changes. 

The Advocate/Times-Picayune’s editorial director and columnist Stephanie Grace tells us where things landed and how residents might be impacted.

Food is on the brain this time of year, so it’s a good time to think about the environmental impacts of what we eat. Last year, we spoke with Tulane researcher Diego Rose who found that having a particular diet could significantly reduce the average American’s carbon footprint, and as a side-effect, also make them healthier. Today, we revisit that conversation. 

The holidays are meant to be relaxing, but there’s often stress around cooking for days like Thanksgiving, especially if you’re a first-timer or if you’re trying out new dishes.

Chef Randy Cheramie, former executive director and senior chef instructor of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University, shared some holiday cooking tips with host Bob Pavlovich.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. 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!