Louisiana Considered

Nine prisoners are walking free after being convicted in part on faulty evidence presented by Mississippi dentist Michael West and his pathological partner Dr. Steven Hayne. Seven of those nine convictions involved bite mark evidence, and three of the recently-freed men had been on death row. There is one inmate left who awaits execution based on evidence presented by the now defamed medical profe...

It’s Thursday and that means it’s time to catch up on the week in politics with The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. We learn how the New Orleans City Council is aiming to restrict the travel of Mayor LaToya Cantrell, and how she’s pushing back.  The recent severe weather and January’s heavy snowfall shed light on an ongoing problem: a lack of adequa...

Shortly after the New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street, trauma teams at New Orleans hospitals stepped up to save lives at a moment’s notice. University Medical Center New Orleans, the only Level 1 trauma center in the area, addressed many of the casualties. Dr. Alison Smith , trauma medical director at UMC , tells us how the city’s  hospitals prepare for mass casualty emergencies.  When childre...

The Southern University community is reeling after engineering student Caleb Wilson died in an off-campus fraternity hazing ritual two weeks ago. Wilson was pledging for Omega Psi Phi at the time of his death. Three students have since been arrested.  Aidan McCahill , a crime and criminal justice reporter for the Baton Rouge Advocate, gives us the latest. Baton Rouge voters will soon cast ballots...

Today on Louisiana Considered, we’ll hear the final episode  of “Leaving the Island.” The Isle de Jean Charles residents finally move out of harm’s way. But problems pile up before the construction dust settles on the resettlement site, The New Isle. Will the residents be able to afford their new homes in the long run? And what will happen to Isle de Jean Charles?  — “Leaving The Island” is an Aud...

Today on Louisiana Considered, we’ll hear the latest episode of “Leaving the Island.” As construction begins on the resettlement site, Hurricane Ida devastates Isle de Jean Charles and the bayou country. We hear what this means for the relocation process.  — “Leaving The Island” is an Audiation Original Production, produced in partnership with the nonprofit newsroom Type Investigations. The story...

Today on  Louisiana Considered, we’ll hear the latest episode  of “Leaving the Island.” Louisiana’s Office of Community Development revamps the rules of the resettlement project, but the Jean Charles Choctaw Nation fights back to restore its original vision. We hear what tensions emerge.  — “Leaving The Island” is an Audiation Original Production, produced in partnership with the nonprofit newsroo...

Today on Louisiana Considered, we’ll hear the latest episode of “Leaving the Island.” The state agency administering the resettlement grant realizes that there are actually two tribes living on Isle de Jean Charles. A brief history lesson explains why both tribes call the Island home.  — “Leaving The Island” is an Audiation Original Production, produced in partnership with the nonprofit newsroom T...

Today on Louisiana Considered, we’ll hear the latest episode of  “Leaving The Island.” It took the chief of the Jean Charles Choctaw Nation over 20 years and two failed attempts to move his people out of harm’s way. And now, with a federal grant of $48 million, it seems like his plan is coming to fruition. Then, a letter lands on the Governor’s desk that changes everything.  — “Leaving The Island”...

This week on Louisiana Considered, we are bringing you the new podcast, “Leaving the Island,” a story about the nation's first attempt to relocate an entire community due to climate change. Today we’ll hear the first part of episode one. In 2016, Louisiana received $48 million from the federal government to move the residents of Isle de Jean Charles, a small barrier island at the tip of Terrebonne...

It’s officially carnival season in New Orleans and around the world, so we wanted to take this time to look at variations on Mardi Gras celebrated across different cities. Two years ago, we brought you the International Carnival roundtable, where we learned about Masopust in the Czech Republic, Shrove Tuesday in Cape Verde, and Carnaval in Uruguay. Today, we’re focusing on Carnival in three North...

It’s Thursday and that means it’s time to catch up on the week in politics with The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. Today we discuss new security protocols for parades and new legislation about parade-goer encampments.  “A cultural revolution on wheels.” That’s how the Krewe of Alla describes its Mardi Gras parade this year. Named in honor of Algier...

Anxieties are high at schools and churches after moves by the Trump Administration suggested these institutions could be visited by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE). . The Gulf States Newsroom’s Kat Stromquist spoke with Nora Ahmed, legal director of the ACLU of Louisiana, to explain immigrants’ Constitutional rights.  In a special legislative session late last year, Louisiana passed a...

Plastic beads remain a staple at most big Carnival parades, but there’s a growing number of New Orleans krewes that want to ban them due to environmental concerns. Producer Matt Bloom went to the Krewe of Freret’s parade, where leaders made plastic beads off limits for the first time – and found some eco-friendly alternatives.  “Back to the Future: The Musical”, Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” and “...

It’s the last Monday of the month, so we’re getting an update on the latest news in Acadiana. Editor and founder of The Current, Christiaan Mader tells us about an upcoming special election, a new mental health hospital, and Mardi Gras in Lafayette.  It’s been about a month and a half since Sid Edwards took office as East Baton Rouge Mayor-President. The election result came as a big surprise when...

When Donald Trump was elected president in November, one of his main campaign platforms was cracking down on immigration, calling for the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. Since taking office, he’s proposed an order ending birthright citizenship and issued the first flight of undocumented immigrants to Guantanamo Bay. Hiroko Kusuda, clinic professor and director of the immigration law...

Over the weekend, the acclaimed sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live celebrated 50 years on the air! While the show is filmed at 30 Rockefeller plaza in Manhattan, it does have some interesting ties to New Orleans. Original cast member Garrett Morris is a born and raised New Orleanian, who made a special appearance at last weekend's reunion show. The Crescent City also claimed Vance Degeneres, t...

Louisiana’s ranking on the Nation’s Report Card – a standardized test to measure academic performance of students across the country – climbed again last month. The state now ranks 32nd out of all 50 states and three jurisdictions. This is quite the climb from before the pandemic when Louisiana ranked 49th.  Education reporter Aubri Juhasz breaks down the results and what this says about the direc...

New Orleans was set to have a big 2025. The city hosted the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras season is especially long this year, stretching all the way into March. But the terrorism attack on New Year's Day has business owners worried about what will happen to the tourism they rely on. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Stephan Bisaha caught up with some in the French Quarter to hear how they’re preparing for w...

There has been a flurry of legal activity since Gov. Jeff Landry established protocols to use nitrogen gas to execute people sentenced to death. Judges have set execution dates for at least two people on death row in Louisiana. Greg LaRose , the editor at the Louisiana Illuminator tells us about challenges to the new method.  As New Orleans still recovers from the Super Bowl, we wanted to have a c...

More and more Americans face the threat of flooding. And as a country, we are woefully unprepared. Cities like Charleston and Miami already see routine coastal flooding. Hurricane Helene recently hammered many inland communities with flooding. And the risk is only rising. FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) sells about 90% of the nation's flood insurance policies, but only a small perce...

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.  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. She tells us about rising tension between Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the city council over the city's role collecting taxes  for...

Since President Trump has taken office, he’s made massive cuts to American foreign aid. According to USAID, over 10,000 American jobs have already been lost, and estimates suggest more than 100 thousand global jobs could be lost. These job cuts don’t just directly affect aid workers, but also everyday Americans whose incomes rely on some foreign investment. For more on how the cuts to the program...

Last night was the 59th Super Bowl. At the Superdome in New Orleans, we saw the Philadelphia Eagles dominate the Kansas City Chiefs, winning 40 to 22.  The Gulf States Newsroom’s sports and culture reporter Joseph King breaks down some memorable plays, big disappointments and an electrifying halftime show from Kendrick Lamar.  There are rising concerns over drone safety in Louisiana, and we could...

It’s Thursday, and time for our Week in Politics with the Editorial Director and Columnist for the Times Picayune/The Advocate, Stephanie Grace. Today we discuss why Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La. ) decided to support Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Department of Health and Human Services and why his vote was so significant.  A Louisiana mother and a New York doctor have been indicted for allegedly...