It’s Day 2 of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s  confirmation hearing to be Health Secretary, and many are wondering how Republican Senator Bill Cassidy will vote.  The former emergency room doctor has concerns about the vaccine skeptic. Although Cassidy mostly votes along party lines, he did vote to impeach Trump on Jan. 6 charges. 

The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist Stepahnie Grace joined the show to share the latest. 

The new movie about the life of Bob Dylan, “A Complete Unknown,” is shedding a light on the folk music revival. But many don’t know how Louisiana musician Huddie Leadbetter, or Lead Belly, played a role in expanding the genre. 

While his framed portrait only makes a brief cameo in the film, Lead Belly was a big influence on folk artists like Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Although the common narrative insists he was “discovered” by white folklorists while locked up in Angola Prison, a new book is separating fact from fiction.  

Sheila Curran Bernard is the author of “Bring Judgment Day: Reclaiming Lead Belly’s Truths from Jim Crow’s Lies.” She breaks down the myths of his career and how he expanded folk and blues music across the U.S. and Europe.

Poor sanitation is a longstanding issue in the Gulf South, especially in Alabama’s Black Belt where the soil is a problem for traditional septic systems. The state’s previous rules for funding water infrastructure made it difficult for residents to fix sanitation issues themselves. 

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Danny McArthur reports on the patchwork of people and groups trying to address the problem.

___

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 pm. 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!