Louisiana Considered

Abortion care is about to get even more difficult to access for people across the Gulf South when a new ban takes effect in Florida on May 1.  The ban outlaws nearly all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, which is often before many people know they’re pregnant. Rosemary Westwood, WWNO/WRKF reproductive health reporter, has more on  how abortion access is about to get even more difficult. The...

Louisiana is facing a Black infant and maternal mortality crisis.  Black infants in Louisiana are more than three times as likely to die from premature birth as white infants and Black mothers are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as their white counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, . Legislation before the Legislature this session...

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for the week in politics. Stephanie Grace, the Times Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, talks about House Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to back more military aid to Ukraine. That decision rattled several House Republicans this week. They’ve since called for his removal.  Johnson also visited Columbia University in New York City this wee...

All week, we’re hearing from public school teachers in Louisiana about how they’re feeling as living costs rise and wages stagnate. Yesterday we heard from a teacher who’s thinking of leaving the profession after only a year in the classroom because of low pay. On today’s show, Aubri Juhasz, WWNO/WRKF education reporter, brings us the story of another teacher facing a tough decision. In 2021, ecol...

Two tornadoes touched down in the city of Slidell, north of New Orleans, earlier this month. The severe weather damaged hundreds of buildings in the area. Thankfully, nobody was killed.  But recovery efforts are expected to be ongoing for the next several months. Gov. Jeff Landry issued an emergency declaration after visiting the area last week.  Greg Cromer, Slidel’s mayor, joins the show to shar...

There’s a lot of uncertainty around whether a popular food assistance program will serve Louisiana families this summer. Gov. Jeff Landry rejected $71 million in federal aid earlier this year to help feed children when schools are closed. Khalil Gillon, a reporter at Verite News, has been covering the fallout from Landry’s decision to decline federal funding and shares the latest.  The Gulf South...

Today, we bring you the conclusion of part two of Sea Change’s special series All Gassed Up.  Hosts Carlyle Calhoun and Halle Parker head to Germany, one of the world’s leaders in green energy. But they discover the country is also playing a huge role in the expansion of Liquefied Natural Gas on the Gulf Coast. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Ryan Vasquez. Our managing pr...

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to catch up on politics with Stephanie Grace, The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist. We’ll get the latest on efforts to hold a constitutional convention in Baton Rouge this summer. Plus, a new leader takes top role in the state’s Democratic Party.  A former New Orleans police chief is calling on President Biden to support changin...

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in New Orleans, is widely seen as the most conservative federal appeals court in the nation. It handles cases from Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. As voting rights legislation meanders through the courts, the 5th Circuit has had a lot to say about the constitutionality of voting rights law. Madeleine Greenberg is a senior case coordinator with Democra...

Sanctuary cities have become targets of Republican lawmakers across the country. Now Louisiana’s legislature is considering a measure that would ban parishes and cities from adopting their own policies.  Bobbi-Jeanne Misick, reporter at Verite News, has been tracking the proposal since it was introduced and joins us for more. Edward “Kidd” Jordan, NOLA jazz saxophonist, and Alvin Batiste, jazz cla...

Students in the Baton Rouge area are missing school — and a lot of it.  More than 50,000 students across the area’s school districts had more than five unexcused absences last school year. That’s according to the latest research from the Baton Rouge Area Chamber , which analyzed local attendance rates. Jake Polansky, the chamber’s manager of economic and policy research, joins the show to share ta...

Today we bring you the first part of “ All Gassed Up, Part 2: The German Connection ,” from Sea Change . Why is the U.S. exporting liquefied natural gas to Europe? Hosts Halle Parker and Carlyle Calhoun head to Germany to find out and learn what that means for the future of our climate. This crawfish season has been a rough one. Farmers and fishermen are catching a tiny percentage of what they nor...

The University of Connecticut took home the NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament this week. South Carolina won the women’s championship. This year, twelve teams from the Gulf South made it to the so-called Big Dance, including the Grambling State men’s team and LSU’s women’s team.   Smaller schools in the region were eliminated right away, but getting a shot at the championship can still ma...

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to catch up on politics with Stephanie Grace, The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist. This week, we cover lawmakers’ efforts to reform home insurance industry regulations.  One big proposal would eliminate the 3-year rule, a Katrina era law that stops insurance companies generally from raising deductibles or not renewing homeowner...

The 41st annual French Quarter Festival kicks off in two days. The neighborhood festival in New Orleans continues to evolve with added programming and music stages.  Emily Madero, festival president and CEO, joins us for a look at what’s new.  The total solar eclipse on April 8 inspired a lot of people to travel to try to get the best view. Many WWNO and WRKF staff members made the journey northwe...

Louisianans didn’t experience complete darkness on April 8 during the total eclipse. But that didn’t stop the excitement leading up to the last total solar eclipse to cross the US for the next 20 years. Watchers in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette witnessed up to 87% coverage. The Louisiana Art & Science Museum in Baton Rouge was one of many gathering points today to view the sight. Mari...

Today we bring you part one of the second episode of “All Gassed Up,” a special series from Sea Change . We go to Cameron Parish to discover a massive expansion of liquified natural gas, or LNG, and learn what that means for the people living near them. And who is all this gas for anyway? In this year's legislative sessions, Southern lawmakers have considered dozens of bills dealing with prisons a...

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to catch up on politics with Stephanie Grace, The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist. This week, we chat about Gov. Jeff Landry’s call for scholarships to be stripped from athletes who miss the national anthem. Plus, an update on the legislative session. Three of New Orleans’ independent banks have sought approval to make the swit...

Fertility treatments in Alabama are in limbo. Last month, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children. Soon after, the state passed a law meant to protect in vitro fertilization, commonly called IVF.   Drew Hawkins, reporter with the Gulf States Newsroom, brings us the stories of several families who worry the protections may not hold.   Carbon sequestration is gaining attenti...

Prisoners in Louisiana often get inadequate medical care. Gov. Jeff Landry recently signed policies that limit the release of the state’s sickest patients. So, what does that mean for those patients and the healthcare system that cares for them?  Richard A. Webster , investigative reporter for Verite News, has been digging into that question. He joins the show to discuss his recent reporting.  Apr...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has changed to how disaster aid is given out. The move could offer survivors of natural disasters a simpler and more streamlined process to get help. Frank Matranga, the director of individual assistance for FEMA’s Office of Response & Recovery, joins the show with more details. A new law that went into effect in January requires private insurers to cove...

Today we bring you part one of the first episode of “All Gassed Up,” a special series from  Sea Change . We go to Cameron Parish to discover a massive expansion of liquified natural gas, or LNG, and learn what that means for the Gulf Coast. It’s been a busy week at the legislature for reproductive rights. For a rundown of a few key bills, we’re joined by Rosemary Westwood, WWNO/WRKF reproductive h...

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to catch up on politics with Stephanie Grace, The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist. We’ll recap what’s happened in the busy few weeks since the legislature gaveled into session. More than 10,000 cargo ships sail through the port of New Orleans each year. It’s one of the country’s largest. So, how does the port ensure safety of t...

The home insurance crisis has hit many households in Southeast Louisiana. Some homeowners are paying premiums double what they were just a few years ago.  Carlyle Calhoun and Halle Parker, hosts of our podcast Sea Change , recently hosted a live panel in front of an audience at The Broadside in New Orleans. They asked insurance and housing experts about potential solutions to the issue.  Melissa C...

Louisiana voters made their choice for Republican and Democratic presidential nominees over the weekend. Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden easily won their respective races during Saturday’s primaries.  Voters also weighed in on local and regional issues, including the closely-watched Caddo Parish sheriff’s race . Brian Brox , associate professor of political science at Tulane...