Louisiana Considered

Moon Landrieu came into the New Orleans’ mayor’s office during a time of heightened racial injustice, and left with a more integrated local government than the city had ever seen. Today, Bob Tucker, Landrieu’s former executive assistant, tells us more about his legacy and lasting influence. It’s a big weekend in Baton Rouge as the LSU Tigers are set to face off against the Southern Jaguars. While...

Louisiana is considering overhauling its electric market. This would divide up the monopolies that have controlled power generation and distribution for decades and open up the market to competition. The Advocate’s Sam Karlin tells us how this possibility has caused a stir at petrochemical plants and the utility companies Cleco and Entergy.  September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and the S...

Jackson, Mississippi has been facing an unprecedented water crisis after its main water facility failed following recent flooding. While the water pressure is now somewhat stable, officials say there is a small margin for error. Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s Kobee Vance tells us how officials are navigating the current crisis and what the city needs in order to have a more sustainable water su...

Yesterday, former New Orleans lawyer, politician, and civil rights advocate Moon Landrieu passed away at 92. Landreiu, who served as a city councilman and mayor of the city from nineteen seventy to seventy eight, is remembered for nurturing cross-cultural connections and championing integration.  Today, we listen back to his reflections on removing the Confederate flag from city council chambers,...

Don’t tune into Louisiana Considered hungry! Today’s show takes us on a flavorful journey of the state’s unique cooking traditions.  We start by revisiting a conversation with the Endowed Chair and Director of the Ray Charles Program in African American Material Culture at Dillard University, Zella Palmer. She spoke with WRKF’s Adam Vos about the history of Louisiana’s Black female chefs who helpe...

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has recently been faced with recall attempts. Now, she’s fighting back. The Advocate’s Editorial Director and columnist Stephanie Grace tells us what might happen next, and clues us in to what elections to watch as campaigns heat up after Labor Day.  The Biden administration pledged billions of dollars to address environmental injustice, and many living in the Mis...

Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. This year, Labor Day comes at a time when multiple workers – be it Starbucks baristas or coal miners – are forming unions or going on strike throughout the South. The Gulf State’s Newsroom’s Stephan Bisaha joins us for an update on the labor movement in the region...

Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans 17 years ago. More than 1800 people lost their lives and many survivors still grapple with the trauma of evacuation, relocation, and loss.  Now a new documentary explores how the storm impacted the youth who survived it. Filmmaker and New Orleans native Edward Buckles Jr. tells us more about his new HBO Max documentary, Katrina Babies.   On September 25, bus ro...

Yesterday, we looked at the physical impacts of hurricanes in Louisiana and heard stories from survivors. Today, we dive deeper into the psychological affects of navigating natural disasters. Disaster and trauma expert Kate Yurgil, who is an assistant professor of psychology at Loyola University New Orleans, joins us for more.  New Orleans guitar master Jimmy Robinson is gearing up for a three-nig...

On today’s episode of Louisiana Considered, the WWNO/WRKF Coastal Desk reports on this year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season, and commemorates Hurricane Ida’s landfall one year ago. This episode originally aired on Monday, August 29, 2022. To hear the full episode, click the “play” button above.   Despite what has felt like a quiet start to this year’s hurricane season, NOAA still forecasts above-norma...

On today’s episode of Louisiana Considered, Stephanie Grace and Paul Braun joined us to discuss the week in state politics. Also, we learn about invasive species that are inching a little closer to the Mississippi River Basin from the Great Lakes every year; and from Houston Public Media, we hear how some Houston residents are still feeling the effects of Hurricane Harvey five years after the stor...

On today’s episode of Louisiana Considered: a reminder about Let Louisiana Shine. Also, we’re easing into the peak of hurricane season, so we’ll hear from NOHSEP about staying prepared. This episode of Louisiana Considered originally aired on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. To hear the full episode, click the play button above.   It’s the last weekend of August, and the final chance during the summer sea...

On today’s episode of Louisiana Considered: What do beer koozies, Allen Toussaint and intellectual property law have to do with each other? Also, a conversation with Jessie Haynes of the Helis Foundation about the organization’s efforts to restore an abstract art installation along the Poydras Corridor that was damaged when Hurricane Ida hit the state almost one year ago. This episode originally a...

On today’s episode of Louisiana Considered, we hear two encore interviews with two of the athletes who are making Louisiana proud in the world of sports: Jahri Evans of the New Orleans Saints, and 2022 Paralympics gold medalist Brenna Huckaby. This episode of Louisiana Considered aired on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022. To listen to the full episode, click the play button above.   Back in March, athletes...

On today’s episode of Louisiana Considered: a program that helps those sentenced to life in prison tell their stories, the history of the Angola Prison Rodeo, and a comparison between bullfighting and hurricane season from essayist Ed Cullen. This segment of Louisiana Considered aired on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022. To listen to the full episode, click the play button above.   Nearly 5,000 Louisianans a...

On today’s episode of Louisiana Considered, Stephanie Grace joined us to talk about what’s jeopardizing next year’s Mardi Gras celebrations. Also, Roger Stolle teaches us a bit about juke joints, and Ed Cullen reminisces on a precursor to HVAC systems: the attic fan.   Up first on today’s show, Stephanie Grace, columnist for The Advocate | The Times-Picayune, discusses the multitude of political b...

National Radio Day is celebrated on Aug. 20, a date chosen because the Detroit station 8MK (now known as WWJ) began broadcasting on that day in 1920. To learn more about the history of radio and how misinformation and social media have changed the way readers relate to reporting, we are joined by Len Apcar, who holds the Wendell Gray Switzer, Jr. Endowed Chair in Media Literacy at LSU’s Manship Sc...

In April of 2022, New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet announced his retirement after eight years of unprecedented growth and ambitious reporting. When he took the job in 2014, he was the first African American to hold the position in the paper’s 163 years. But the Pulitzer-prize winning journalist has a lifelong career, one that started in his hometown of New Orleans. Since stepping down a...

On Friday, the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld the state’s near total abortion ban. This comes after months of abortion access legislation being knocked around in district courts. Now, Louisiana’s last three abortion clinics are set to relocate. WWNO’s Reproductive Healthcare Reporter Rosemary Westwood tells us what the state will look like without a clinic for the first time since 1974. Louisiana...

On August 8th, the state of Louisiana moved to vacate Cedric Dent’s conviction after he spent 25 years in prison for a fatal shooting he did not commit. Mr. Dent had been convicted of the murder of Anthony A. Milton in 1997, but the verdict was decided by a non-unanimous jury, which has since been deemed unconstitutional.  Cedric Dent, his mother Earline Brooks Colbert, and member of his legal tea...

Across the country, there is fear and confusion inside some hospitals as doctors try to give the best medical care while staying within the bounds of new abortion restrictions. That is especially true right here in Louisiana. As our reproductive healthcare reporter Rosemary Westwood reports, doctors say a new abortion ban could put their patients and themselves at risk. Back in April, Louisiana Co...

"ALICE lives in every town and every parish in our state — working as child care providers, aides for the elderly, cashiers, mechanics, and waiters and waitresses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed countless ALICE workers provide essential services on the front lines, often times without adequate healthcare access and optimal childcare supports. They are our friends, family, and people we...

It’s been just over a month since the first cases of monkeypox were reported in Louisiana. While the state has responded rapidly by offering information on where to find treatment, actually accessing that treatment has been difficult, as vaccines are limited.  For more on the experiences of those who have contracted the disease, we spoke with Julie O'Donoghue, senior reporter with Louisiana Illumi...

In 2019, the East Bank All-Stars became the first team from Louisiana to win the Little League Baseball World Series. Now, the history-making team from River Ridge is the subject of a new exhibit at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser tells Louisiana Considered’s Alana Schreiber how he spearheaded the idea for this exhibit, and why the team is so deserv...

Nearly two decades ago, Louisiana lawmakers promised to reshape the state’s juvenile justice system to adopt a model of rehabilitation rather than punishment. All these years later, youth facilities remain understaffed, underfunded, and violent. Staff writer for the Baton Rouge Advocate Jacqueline DeRobertis joins us more on these broken promises and where to go from here.  It’s no secret that man...