Louisiana Considered

A new state law takes effect Tuesday,requiring hospitals to lock up key medications used to treat pregnant women during emergencies. That’s because the drugs can also be used to induce abortions. WWNO’s and WRKF’s Reproductive Health reporter Rosemary Westwood tells us why this law is alarming to health care workers.  The Crescent City Chamber Music Festival is kicking off its 9th season of intima...

Last week was National Diaper Need Awareness Week and The Junior League of New Orleans held events at the diaper bank distribution warehouse to raise awareness about this issue. Since 2014, the organization has distributed more than 9.6 million diapers throughout the New Orleans area.  Tara Waldron, the president of the Junior League of New Orleans, tells us more about barriers to diaper access an...

TV Weather Gets Heated. In a world where weather is getting more extreme, the role of meteorologists is becoming more important—and controversial—than ever. Meteorologists have been fired over reporting on climate change, and others have left stations because of death threats. But that hasn’t stopped Jeff Berardelli, Chief Meteorologist for Tampa Bay’s WFLA News. He’s leaning in. In this episode,...

It’s Thursday and that means it’s time to catch up on this week in politics. The Times Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist Stephanie Grace discusses the Republican party’s ongoing anti-immigrant rhetoric, and tells us about the former Republican congressman who recently endorsed Vice President Harris.  Over 5,000 tradeswomen – along with labor, government, and industry leaders...

During the pandemic, the drug Remdesivir, was thrust into the popular lexicon when it became a part of the toolkit to treat people infected with COVID-19. But a recent study found that the drug works in a different way than originally thought. Giulia Monticone , a researcher at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans tells us what a recent study revealed about the drug and its potential for...

Alabama’s Black Belt has long grappled with food insecurity, and this issue is top of mind ahead of November’s elections. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Maya Miller visits a food bank in Montgomery to see what  resources there are to help keep families fed. Many filmmakers across the country flock to New York or LA with the goal of creating blockbuster hits in big markets. But 24-year-old filmmaker Ju...

The November elections are less than two months away, and Verite News in New Orleans recently launched “Civics 504,” a guide on voter registration, ballot propositions and news coverage. The guide was launched in partnership with Verite’s sister newsroom, Mississippi Today. Verite’s Managing Editor Charles Maldonado joins us now for more on this guide and the information it offers. The LSU Museum...

Our oceans are heating up—what does that mean for all the life that lives in the sea...and us? Today we’re going on a trip to Florida…we’re hanging out in the Keys, and we're going fishing, and scuba diving all to find out what’s going on beneath the surface. Just how bad is hotter water for sea life in South Florida, and for the people that depend on it? And how are scientists leading the charge...

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to break down the week in politics with Stephanie Grace, editorial director and columnist for The Times Picayune/The Advocate. Today, we discuss a possible special session in the state legislature this November on tax reform and the state's fiscal cliff. It was the late 40s. Despite having worked production lines and front lines in hospitals for World War II...

In the race to find cleaner energy, Louisiana could soon host much of the country’s production of ammonia. The gas is mostly used to produce the fertilizer used in gardens and on crops. Now, more companies want to turn it into a fuel. In St. Charles Parish, one such proposal for a so-called “blue ammonia” plant has faced mixed reactions from the community. Halle Parker joined us to explain where t...

When a storm blows in, it doesn’t just impact people — it can also throw birds off course or drive them farther inland. Hurricane Francine presented an opportunity to see rare species in unexpected places. WWNO’s Aubri Juhasz takes us birding in the days after the storm.  In June 2021, the NCAA implemented an interim policy to allow college athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness...

While power has been restored to most of Louisiana since Hurricane Francine, there are still plenty of lineman working to get the last lights turned on. WRKF’s Capital Access reporter Brooke Thorington spoke with a lineman about why he crossed state lines to help out. While many are glued  to “Chimp Crazy,” the new HBO docuseries about the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary, Chimp Haven – locate...

Last night, Louisiainans experienced floods, wind and power outages as Francine swept across the state. It made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane with winds as high as 100 mph before being downgraded to a tropical storm.  Today, we're assessing the impacts, the damage and the recovery process with our reporters from across the state. Eva Tesfaye tells us about the strength and path of the storm –...

Francine is now a hurricane, with winds up to 90 mph, and closing in on the Louisiana’s coast. Regional meteorologist Jennifer Narramore joins us for an update on the storm’s strength, path and expected impacts.  When a storm is coming, many ask: Do I stay or go? That question can be hard to answer, and even harder if a person has a disability. New Orleans-based disability rights activist Mark Ray...

Francine is churning in the Gulf Coast and expected to make landfall in Louisiana late Wednesday. Across the state, residents are preparing for the storm and deciding whether or not to evacuate. The Coastal Desk’s Halle Parker joins us to discuss the latest forecasts and advice.  The New Orleans City Council may be putting an end to its special exceptions process for  short-term rental properties,...

Last Friday, the nation's youngest HBCU president was formally installed – and it happened right here in Louisiana. That's right, Dr. Martin Lemelle, Jr. became the president of Grambling State University.   Dr. Lemelle previously served as executive vice president and CFO at the Maryland Institute of Art, Executive Vice President and COO at Grambling, and holds multiple degrees that demonstrate h...

The home insurance market is collapsing all across the country. Big, brand-name insurance companies are walking away from the riskiest states. And, the companies that are sticking around are often doubling and tripling rates over just a few years. Nothing like this has ever happened before. And nowhere is this crisis worse... than Florida. In fact, Florida is the origin story of this crisis: the h...

Today, people across New Orleans and all of Louisiana are remembering Sybil Morial, who died this week at 91. While often remembered as the wife of New Orleans’ first Black mayor, Dutch Morial, and mother to two-term mayor, Marc Morial, she was also a civil rights icon in her own right.  The Times Picayune/The Advocate’s Stephanie Grace tells us about Morial’s role in fighting discrimination at un...

The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children recently announced $1.3 million in grant funding for projects that address compensation for early childhood educators in the state. Seven grantees across the state will look at ways to increase wages and benefits for the workforce that provides early education for the state’s youngest children. Dr. Candace Weber, the partnerships director for the Louisia...

On Jan. 1, a new federal regulation will go into effect, significantly reducing the rates that inmates have to pay to call friends and family. But in New Orleans, inmates will have to wait an extra year for it to go into effect. Verite News’ Bobbi-Jeanne Misick has been covering this story, and joins us now for more.  After a season of transition, The NOLA Project, known for bold, innovative and i...

The Paralympic Games are officially underway, and athletes from around the world have gathered to compete in Paris for an exciting two weeks of events. One sport that kicks off this Sunday is Men’s Blind Soccer, which features eight teams playing at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. While the U.S. men’s team didn’t qualify this time around, they’ll have a guaranteed entry in 2028 when the U.S. is the...

Gov. Jeff Landry announced two orders this week: one that keeps noncitizens from voting and another that bans the teaching of critical race theory in public schools. The Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s editorial director and columnist Stephanie Grace joins us for more on Landry’s “culture war” orders.  The November elections are just over two months away, and the New Orleans Public Library w...

Louisiana’s new permitless/constitutional-carry firearm law went into effect in July– a win for gun rights advocates, but causing some consternation in urban areas where gun violence is a major concern. Especially in New Orleans, which previously was able to enforce a non-gun zone around the French Quarter. James J. Reeves II, a New Orleans-based attorney, author of a book on Louisiana gun laws, a...

Louisiana is the latest state to pass a law that gives parents who choose to send their kids to private school, money to spend on it. Last week, the state’s board of education signed an $11 million contract with a developer to manage the program.  WWNO and WRKF’s Aubri Juhasz tells us more about this law and the impact it might have on Louisiana’s education system.  The 14th annual Culture Collisi...

Last week, politicians and celebrities alike gathered in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. Over four days, we heard speeches from Joe Biden, the Obamas, and the two names at the top of the ticket: vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and presidential candidate Kamala Harris.  Political consultant, author and media contributor James Carville joins us for his major takeaways from the c...