Louisiana Considered

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, who gets a little bigger every time. 

For Gulf States Newsroom intern Tanner O'Neal Riley, that's his grandfather, Sgt. Perry Robertson White. White was one of the first Black officers to serve 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 re-integration of the NOPD.

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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!

Legislation to increase the number of years a wrongfully incarcerated person could receive compensation passed unanimously in the legislature this past session. But it was among the handful of bills Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed. 

Capitol Access reporter Brooke Thorington talks to an exoneree who would have benefited from the change, and lawmakers who question why it was vetoed.

Back in August, a task force assembled to review the formula that’s been used for more than 30 years to fund and distribute state dollars to local school districts. 

The 15 members of this group have the daunting task of studying the Minimum Foundation Program, or MFP, which allocates $4 billion annually to schools, and then recommending a revised or replacement formula.  

The nonpartisan advocacy group Leaders for a Better Louisiana is not part of the task force, but it has developed a primer of sorts to aid in understanding what the MFP is, how it works and why it’s important. Better Louisiana Chief Policy Officer Barry Erwin joins us with more.

A 16-year-old Baton Rouge Magnet High School student took first place this summer in an oratorical competition conducted by the national organization 100 Black Men of America.

Niles Haymer II, who’s part of the Project Excel program with 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge, won with his speech, “What Leadership Means to Me,” which he presented at the national conference in New York City. 

We hear from Haymer, alongside his oratory coach, Jeremy Blunt.  Blunt won the Top Participant Award at the conference, which honors outstanding individuals who complete the 100 Black Men of America Leadership Institute. Then, we’ll listen to Haymer’s speech.

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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!

There was a time back in the 1980s when overfishing had decimated popular fish like red snapper and grouper in the Gulf. But then, there was a dramatic turning point, when both fish and fishermen in the Gulf were kind of saved. Today, we hear the remarkable success story of how unlikely partners joined forces to save an industry and an ecosystem.

In this episode, Environmental Defense Fund's Executive Director, Amanda Leland, water resilience author, James Workman, and fisherman, Buddy Guidon, talk about how catch shares created a quiet revolution.

To learn more, check out Amanda and James' book, Sea Change: Unlikely Allies and a Success Story of Oceanic Proportions.

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This episode was originally published on October 13, 2025. It was hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and Michael McEwen. Michael conducted the interview. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski, and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Carlyle Calhoun is the executive producer. 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. Sea Change is also supported by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

Kemp's Ridleys are the most endangered sea turtle on the planet... can they lose their nickname of the "heartbreak turtle"? Today, we go on a journey to the remote Chandeleur islands to try to find the mysterious Kemp’s Ridley turtles, who, after 75 years, have been discovered on the shores of Louisiana. It’s a story of loss and restoration, of hope and heartbreak.

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This episode was originally published October 2, 2023. Hosted by Sea Change managing producer Carlyle Calhoun. Editing help by Nora Saks, Garrett Hazelwood, and Halle Parker. Our sound designer is Maddie Zampanti. Sea Change is a production of WWNO and WRKF. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

The Lemon Tree Mound is a sacred place for the Atakapa/Ishak-Chawasha tribe. And it's disappearing under the rising waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In this episode, we travel out into the bayous of South Louisiana to understand what this one small sacred place means for the Land Back Movement and climate justice, and why efforts to save our coast matter, even if they really mean only buying time.

Click here to read more about the return of the sacred land to the tribe, and here to learn more about the efforts to save it.

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This episode originally aired December 5, 2024. It was hosted and reported by Eva Tesfaye, Drew Hawkins and Danny McArthur. 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'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.

Louisiana’s coast is rapidly disappearing into the Gulf, threatening not only the land, but also the people and the culture that make it special. Instead of mourning the coast, a new series from PBS member station WYES is celebrating it. 

Eco Trip is the Gulf South's first eco-adventure television series that combines outdoor adventure, authentic travel, rich cultural traditions and environmental discovery. 

Host Tom Gregory jumps into each adventure firsthand, creating an authentic look at the culture, history and perseverance that has shaped coastal Louisiana for generations. He spoke with the coastal desk’s Eva Tesfaye for more.

Back in May, WNYC’s On the Media released a podcast all about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — “American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA.” The four-part series chronicled the agency from its founding to its current uncertain status in the Trump Administration. The second episode takes a deep dive into the failings of FEMA during Hurricane Katrina. 

Earlier this year, we spoke with reporter and host of the series Micah Loewinger. Today, we’ll look back on that conversation.

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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!

Last Friday on Louisiana Considered, we brought you the first part of the latest episode of Sea Change, all about the fight against pollution in the Texas Gulf. Today, we bring you part 2. 

Neil McQueen learned to surf as a Texas teenager, and it changed his life – eventually pulling him away from a career as a plastics engineer and into the fight to save the very waters that shaped him. Thanks to the way ocean currents loop through the Gulf, the Texas coast collects roughly 10 times more plastic debris than any other Gulf state, much of it spilling from the massive petrochemical complex that lines its shores.

Today, reporter Avery Thompson follows Neil from the surf off Mustang Island to the halls of the Texas Capitol to witness a personal reckoning with the plastics economy that helped build modern Texas—and one man’s determination to leave the ocean better than he found it.

To learn more about the citizen-led science project tracking pre-production plastics, called nurdles, check out the Nurdle Patrol. And for more about the Surfrider Foundation's work on the Texas coast, click here.

CREDITS

This episode was reported by Texas-based reporter Avery Thompson. It was edited by Carlyle Calhoun and Eve Abrams, with additional help from Johanna Zorn, Eva Tesfaye, and Michael McEwan. Carlyle Calhoun is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste, and sound design by Dennis Funk with help from Avery Thompson.

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. 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 talk politics with The Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s Stephanie Grace. Today, we learn how Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is wrapping up his time in Congress by challenging the MAHA agenda with vaccine advocacy. 

August marks the birthday of New Orleans jazz legend Louis Armstrong.

In 2021, Hurricane Ida destroyed a building in the Central Business District where Armstrong spent much of his childhood. Years later, our managing producer Alana Schreiber visited the space to learn about efforts to reconstruct the building and honor Armstrong’s legacy. Today, we give that story a second listen. 

For over 40 years, she has guided New Orleans’ book consumers with her writing and radio conversations. Now, Susan Larson has announced her retirement from her show, The Reading Life on WWNO. She joins us to reflect on her journey as an author, critic and advocate for the local literary community. She also shares the following recommendations for those who wish to feel a stronger tie to New Orleans-related literature.

Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole, the book that sets the bar for New Orleans comedy.

Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table, by Sara Roahen, a classic of discovering our distinctive foodways.

In the Land of Dreamy Dreams, by Ellen Gilchrist, one of the best social dissections of the city.

Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice, captures the spooky side of the city.

The Moviegoer, by Walker Percy, still speaks to the New Orleans atmosphere.

NO Lit: 200 Years of New Orleans Literature, edited by Nancy Dixon, a very comprehensive anthology.

The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You: Stories, by Maurice Carlos Ruffin—tales of a broad cross-section of New Orleanians.

New Orleans City Guide 1938—The WPA guide is still surprisingly useful and informative.

Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas, edited by Rebecca Solnit and Rebecca Snedeker, creative and intelligent essays and maps.

The World That Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square, by Ned Sublette—one of the seminal books about New Orleans culture.

And of course: The Booklover’s Guide to New Orleans, by Susan Larson

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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!

Louisiana's Public Service Commission (PSC) is overseeing one of the biggest industrial buildouts in state history. They’re considering 10 new gas plants and other infrastructure, like transmission lines, in order to power Meta's data centers in Richland Parish.

Last week, the PSC voted to overturn a judge’s ruling that Meta had to turn over information about how it calculated jobs and power usage. And the meeting got heated, as Michael McEwen reported for our Coastal Desk.

But just ahead of that meeting, an investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins found that an Entergy executive ghostwrote motions that some commissioners filed in support of projects like Meta’s data center.

Both Michael McEwen and Drew Hawkins join us for more on the latest.

Louisiana’s surgeon general, Dr. Evelyn Griffin, is a longtime OBGYN who is aligning herself with the Make America Healthy Again movement. She’s fought against government mandates and questioned vaccine safety. Now, she’s pushing for greater emphasis on wellness and disease prevention. 

New York Times fellow Rosemary Westwood has been reporting this story. She joins us for more on her look into Griffin’s background and agenda. 

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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!

Last November, lawyer and formerly wrongfully incarcerated man Calvin Duncan won the election to serve as Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal District Court before legislators passed a law that got rid of this position. He has since filed a lawsuit arguing that the law was specifically intended to keep him out of office. 

Last week, Duncan’s legal team filed an amended complaint to the U.S. District Court. One of Duncan’s lawyers, Margo Rusconi, spoke with WWNO’s Morning Edition producer Mel Bridges for more.

The New Orleans Police Department recently announced additional hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding to purchase emergency response drones. This comes after the City Council decided the NOPD must share public reports about drone use, after growing concerns the department is too soft on technology.

Sophie Kasakove has been reporting on this for The Times-Picayune/The Advocate. She joins us with the latest. 

National Black Breastfeeding Week takes place each year from August 25-31. The week highlights the experiences of Black breastfeeding families and draws attention to racial disparities in nursing rates and maternal and infant health. 

Jade George, international board certified lactation consultant, doula and childbirth educator, tells us more about how to make breastfeeding more accessible.

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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!