Louisiana Considered

Last week, we brought you the first part of our latest episode of Sea Change, in which WWNO’s Kezia Setyawan traveled around south Louisiana to meet with community members trying to keep history alive in a place where the land is rapidly disappearing. Today, we are continuing that conversation with Brian Davis, executive director for the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation, and archeologist...

This month marks one year since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending constitutional abortion rights. Currently, 14 states – including Louisiana – now ban nearly all abortions. That Supreme Court decision actually centered on one Mississippi abortion clinic, Jackson Women’s Health Organization.  In a special episode of her award-winning podcast Banned, public health reporter Rosemary...

The city of New Orleans isn’t known for being easy to get around if you have a disability. It can even be hard to find a place to work out. But now, there’s Split Second Fitness, a gym specifically designed for people with disabilities. Louisiana Considered’s Managing Producer Alana Schreiber takes us inside.  These days, many storefronts across downtown Baton Rouge are vacant. But now, the Downto...

The LSU Tigers are champions once again. That’s right, earlier this year, the women’s basketball team clinched the March Madness tournament, and just last night the men’s baseball team won the College World Series. For more on the team’s path to victory and what the future may hold for some of the Tigers biggest stars, WWNO’s Alana Schreiber spoke with LSU baseball and football beat writer for the...

Archeologists have recently discovered artifacts in the Kisatchie National Forest that date back to prehistoric times and give insight into the lives of some of the earliest people who lived in Louisiana during the Ice Age. Forest archeologist Matt Helmer and project director for the University of Louisiana Lafayette Dr. Erlend Johnson tell us more about what they have discovered at one of the old...

It’s Pride Month, and in Louisiana and around the world, there are all sorts of parades, concerts and events that celebrate LGBTQ+ identities. But in New Orleans, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the UpStairs Lounge Fire, when arson took the lives of 32 people at a gay bar in the French Quarter. No one was ever convicted of this crime. This year a coalition of local organizations, spearheaded by...

Monday was Juneteenth, a holiday first recognized by the federal government two years ago that honors the date in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, discovered they were free – some of the last to learn of their emancipation. Today, we are honoring the holiday by recognizing the work being done to combat racism in our region. Maxine Crump, founder and president/CEO of Dialog...

Playwright Tennessee Williams’ family is the subject of a stage drama as Salvage Art Productions and the Marigny Opera House present the premiere of ‘Miss Rose, a Cabaret Play.’ The work follows the relationship between Rose Williams and her younger brother Tennessee. Rebecca Gibel, who stars as Rose, and Leicester Landon, who stars as Tennessee, join us for more. Project Drawdown is a climate cha...

It’s Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. To many this day represents a commitment to remember the lives, stories and incredible contributions of the enslaved that have long been overlooked. Last year, we spoke with Kathe Hambrick, founder of the River Road African Museum in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, about the state’s Underground Railroad history. To...

Yesterday, we heard part 1 of NPR’s Miles Parks’ investigation into how the Electronic Registration Information Center, also known as ERIC, was torn apart by the far right, resulting in many states dropping out of the system. Today, Parks joins us for an update on this story and what he’s learned in the days since. But first, we hear part 2 of his investigation. When we left off yesterday, we hear...

The Electronic Registration Information Center also known as ERIC, is a multi state effort to fight voter fraud. The system was a rare bipartisan success story, until it was targeted by a far right campaign to dismantle it. The first state to opt out: Louisiana NPR’s Miles Parks traveled to Louisiana to learn how this once beloved tool against voter fraud fell victim to conspiracies. Today, we wil...

Maybe you know her as the dynamic guard on the LSU Women’s basketball team that won the NCAA March Madness tournament just a few months ago. Or maybe you recognize her from her performances on the Rap Game and America’s Got Talent. Regardless of how you know her, it’s no secret that Flau’jae Johnson is doing big things, both on the basketball court and on the music scene.  Today, Flau’jae Johnson...

The New Orleans Public Library is reaching out to kids, teens and adults with its annual summer fun and reading challenge. The program includes two months of events, activities, book logs and prizes for readers of all ages. Amy Wander, head of the New Orleans Public Library’s youth programming, joins us to share the details. The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane is celebrating a major mil...

On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court released its ruling in Allen v. Milligan, the Alabama redistricting case. They found that Alabama’s 2022 congressional district maps violated the Voting Rights Act, apportioning only one Black-majority congressional district out of seven, in a state where about a quarter of the population is Black. To many, this outcome reaffirms the power of the Voting Rights A...

The Louisiana legislative session wrapped up last night. From abortion rights, to gender-affirming care, to the salaries of representatives, this session had no shortage of heated discussions and controversial bills.  Stephanie Grace, editorial director and columnist for the Times-Picayune, and Molly Ryan , statehouse reporter for WWNO and WRKF, break down the bills and tell us what may happen nex...

Climate-smart agriculture is having a moment, thanks to a pledge of billions in federal funding earlier this year. But how exactly does it work? From the Gulf States Newsroom, Danny McArthur has the story of Louisiana farmers already experimenting with this practice of growing more while using less. The United States Constitution guarantees the right to a lawyer under the sixth amendment. But some...

There’s a growing legal movement across the globe to grant natural entities like forests and rivers the same legal rights as humans. And it’s catching on in the US. As Juanpablo Ramirez Franco with the Mississippi River Basin Ag and Water Desk reports, Indigenous-led campaigns to recognize the legal rights of natural entities like wild rice, salmon and lakes are setting the stage for a nascent mov...

This week, the Louisiana legislature is poised to pass a $5 million tax credit for donations to anti-abortion pregnancy centers. The bill’s author, Senator Beth Mizell, has said these centers can improve Louisiana’s crisis in maternal and infant health. But a WWNO/WRKF survey found that most provide nearly no maternal health care, nearly no reproductive health care, and some provide health misinfo...

It’s not unusual in Louisiana to see an alligator in a marsh, swamp or bayou, but recent reports have noted gators walking across the road in Lake Charles, stuck in a backyard fence in Slidell, and even out taking a swim in the Gulf of Mexico.  For more on why we might be seeing gators in usual places and how to stay safe, we speak with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist Prog...

There’s a good chance that if you listen to WWNO often, you’ve heard NPR’s Bill of the Month series with Kaiser Health News. They look at one medical bill each month and break down what went wrong. This inspired the Gulf States Newsroom to do something similar with another type of bill that often goes wrong: utility bills.  Wealth and poverty reporter Stephan Bisaha speaks to a couple in Birmingha...

In late March, the LSU Museum of Art opened a new exhibition celebrating the works of Alabama-based artist Thornton Dial. The exhibit, I, Too, Am Thornton Dial, walks viewers through the long life of the artist, whose installations combine found objects – everything from metal and wood to toys and clothes – to convey messages about the civil rights movement and Black life in the Deep South.  Earli...

For the past few weeks, the Historic New Orleans Collection has been telling t he story of women and women of color who fought for the right to vote in Louisiana. But now, the HNOC will hold a panel discussion to examine the hurdles that continue to keep people from the polls in our state today. Rosalind Cook, president of the League of Women Voters New Orleans and a panelist at this Saturday’s di...

Earlier this month, Queer Eye, one of Netflix’s hit shows, debuted its seventh season, and New Orleans serves as the backdrop. Across seven episodes, the Fab 5 aim to better the lives of this season’s local heroes by helping them with fashion, grooming, cooking, home design and confidence. Maryam Henderson-Uloho is one of those heroes. After spending 12 years in prison, she founded SisterHearts, a...

Today on Louisiana Considered, we hear about the oil and gas industry’s response to a new campaign against petrochemical expansion in the Gulf Coast coming from former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. Plus, we hear an interview with Louisiana gubernatorial candidate and former senior official in the Jindal administration, Republican Stephen Waguespack. Former New York mayor and billionaire Michae...

Today on Louisiana Considered, Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Thomas tells us about his approach to playing Atticus Finch as the touring production of “To Kill a Mockingbird” heads to the Saenger Theatre. And we learn why Louisiana leads the nation in rates of inmates serving time for crimes they committed as kids.   “To Kill a Mockingbird” is coming to the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans from Ma...