Louisiana Considered

Jazz Fest signals the end of parade season for Black Masking Indians – the last time they’ll wear the feather and beaded suits they worked on all year.  Today, we bring you the latest episode of Voices of the Culture, a podcast hosted by two Black Masking Indians. Spyboy Horace Anderson of the Creole Wild West and Big Chief Dowee Robair of the 9th Ward Black Hatchet discuss the winding down of the...

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to catch up on politics with The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s editorial director and columnist Stephanie Grace. Today, we discuss the homestretch of the Republican Senate primary race, and the rumor that former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu is considering a run for president.  The Louisiana Legislature has been working on bills that would resize...

In recent years, a group called The Campus Victory Project — backed by the conservative organization Turning Point USA — has turned its eyes to student life at universities. At LSU, students are claiming that this group is influencing student government elections.  Now, LSU students are putting forward a measure that would change how people off-campus could get involved in student politics. WRKF R...

Residents in Holly Ridge, Louisiana, are complaining about the health impacts of the construction of the Meta data center — the largest data center in the country. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins is conducting a community monitoring project to test the air, dust and water. Today, he visits Holly Ridge to talk with residents about how it works and how the data will be analyzed. Last Novembe...

The parents of former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy have filed a lawsuit against the Louisiana State Police, alleging officers falsely implicated Lacy in a December 2024 fatal crash on Louisiana Highway 20. After the accident, Lacy’s draft stock plummeted, and months later, he took his own life.  Mel Bridges has been reporting this story for WWNO and WRKF. She joins us today with the latest.  Louis...

Liquified natural gas, or LNG, is a natural gas that has been super-cooled into a liquid so that it can be stored and shipped. It’s been touted as a bridge fuel to wean the world off of fossil fuels and onto renewable energy.  In December 2024, Sea Change hosts Carlyle Calhoun and Halle Parker investigated the liquified natural gas exports being built on the Gulf Coast in a series called “All Gass...

It’s Thursday and that means it’s time to catch up with Stephanie Grace, editorial director and columnist for The Times-Picayune/The Advocate. Today we discuss a series of bills at the legislature that seem to pin New Orleans against the rest of the state.  According to earthquakelist.org , an area southeast of Shreveport, Louisiana has had over two dozen earthquakes since the beginning of this ye...

The Birmingham Squadron, the minor league affiliate of the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, is relocating to Kenner, Louisiana. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Joseph King went to their last basketball game in the Magic City to see how fans are feeling about the news. This Thursday through Saturday, LSU Libraries will host the annual Book Bazaar — but this year, they’re celebrating 50 years. The event is we...

East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards has made tackling blight in the parish one of his top priorities since taking office. In his first year, his team demolished over 200 buildings, which they say is a historic high.  WRKF Report for America corps member Alex Cox tells us more about how the mayor is continually addressing this issue. New Orleans comedian Ryan Rogers is coming out with a ne...

In the first 24 hours since the U.S. and Iran reached a ceasefire agreement, an oil refinery in Iran was hit, five Gulf Arab states reported attacks from Iranian drones and missiles and Israeli airstrikes killed more than 250 people in Lebanon. After failed peace negotiations this weekend, the war is showing no signs of slowing down, with the U.S. military beginning a blockade of all Iranian ports...

Five public officials in Evangeline Parish were arrested this week, including the mayor of Ville Platte. They were booked after a Louisiana State Police investigation found they accessed government computer databases and shared protected information with a criminal defendant. Joe Cunningham, host of the Joe Cunningham show and Acadiana’s Morning News on Newstalk 96.5 KPEL, gives us the latest. The...

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, we discuss the upcoming Republican Senate primary, where incumbent Bill Cassidy faces challenges from Rep. Julia Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming. The Southeast Flood Protection Authority-East is tasked with maintaining and operatin...

A recent investigation by the Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins found that dozens of elected officials in Louisiana have signed nondisclosure agreements related to large-scale developments, including the Amazon data centers in northwest Louisiana. The announcement caught many by surprise. Critics say the agreements keep communities in the dark. Hawkins joins us for an update in his reporting.  T...

In 1993, New Orleans bankruptcy attorney John Menszer began photographing and interviewing Holocaust survivors. The project soon took on a life of its own, and he started touring the country, taking more photos, collecting more stories and curating exhibits.  Now, there’s a new exhibition of his work at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. The wing opened with some survivors and their fam...

The Trump administration is letting oil and gas industry workers off the hook when it comes to protecting endangered whales off the southern coast of the United States. This all began last week, when the Endangered Species Committee, also known as the “God Squad,” voted to grant a rare exemption from the Endangered Species Act for Rice Whales. Anna Kramer has been covering this story for NOTUS, an...

We’re in the beginning of spring bird migration here on the Gulf Coast, which means warblers, vireos, orioles and thrushes coming through as they make their way up North. Around two billion birds make landfall along our coast from March to May after crossing the Gulf of Mexico. But even after the high-stakes crossing of open water, their next leg of the journey is no less perilous. In this episode...

An investigation found dozens of elected officials in Louisiana have signed nondisclosure agreements related to large-scale developments — like the Amazon data centers in northwest Louisiana. The announcement caught many by surprise and critics say the agreements keep communities in the dark. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins tells us more. It’s the first night of Passover, and Jewish commun...

Last week, a bill to establish a recreational alligator hunting season passed in the state senate. While Louisiana currently allows highly-regulated commercial alligator hunting, this would open up the activity to the general public. But some are concerned this could put the species back on the endangered list. Michael McEwen, reporter for WWNO and WRKF’s coastal desk, joins us with the latest. Th...

Louisiana prosecutor Hugo Holland has had a long and controversial career. He’s been accused of withholding evidence in death row cases, falsifying paperwork and racism. But that hasn’t stopped him from campaigning for a judge position in Caddo Parish. And according to recent reports, he’s the front runner. Richard Webster has been covering this story for Verite News and Pro Publica. He joins us t...

For more than a century, the Gulf seafood industry has shaped towns, cultures, and identities along the coast. Yet, if you talk to almost anyone who works on the water, they’ll tell you the Gulf seafood story has changed more in the last 30 years than the hundred years before that. If you care about what’s on your plate, what happens to this coast, or what kind of future we’re leaving to the next...

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to catch up on the week in politics with Stephanie Grace, editorial director and columnist for Times Picayune/The Advocate. Today, she discusses the latest in the Republican Senate primary and why there will likely be no debate between candidates. It’s been nearly a month since the United States and Israel launched a war with Iran, beginning with 900 strikes...

Wait times at the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport have been much longer than usual in recent weeks, especially during peak travel days. Some travelers have experienced hours-long delays, with lines stretching out of the building into the airport’s parking garage.  Aubri Juhasz has been covering this story for WWNO and WRKF. She joins with more. Nexus Louisiana has a lofty goal. T...

East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards wants to give employees at the Baton Rouge Police Department a raise. Edwards’ plan hopes to give sworn officers at least a 15% raise, non-sworn employees a 3.5% raise and the chiefs a 5.9% raise. But this still needs to be approved by the East Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council, which they will consider in an upcoming meeting. Report for America corps me...

Curbside recycling in New Orleans may soon disappear. Mayor Helena Moreno floated the possibility of eliminating it as a potential cost-saving measure to help deal with a massive budget deficit. This is despite the fact that New Orleans was poised to participate in a universal recycling initiative, which would have been fully funded.  Katie Jane Fernelius has been reporting this story for Verite N...

She’s been a part of thousands of listener’s mornings for more than three and a half decades. And now, Morning Edition host Diane Mack has decided to retire.  Diane joins us to reflect on her life and career. She tells us how she first discovered NPR, offers advice to the next Morning Edition host and shares her most memorable moments on air. It’s March Madness! The time of year when 68 men’s team...