Louisiana Considered

Sea levels along the U.S. Southeast and Gulf coasts have been rapidly accelerating, rising faster than the average rate worldwide. According to a new study led by scientists at Tulane University, this has amounted to record-breaking rates over the past 12 years. Sönke Dangendorf, assistant professor in the Department of River-Coastal Science and Engineering at Tulane, tells us more about what the...

This weekend, French Quarter Festival is returning to New Orleans and celebrating an important milestone: 40 years. Emily Madero, president and CEO of French Quarter Festivals Inc., tells us how this annual celebration has grown over the last four decades and what to expect this year. The Musaica Chamber Ensemble is gearing up for an adventurous finale. The 17th season will wrap up next week with...

It’s no secret that chemical plants in Louisiana have been releasing toxic emissions for years, risking the lives of the community members around them, who are most often people of color. But now, in a rare move, the Environmental Protection Agency is taking emergency action, trying to force one plant to immediately reduce or completely halt its emissions.  Reporter Lylla Younes , who has been cov...

Forget “I Spy.” There’s a new road trip game in town: counting dollar stores. It’s not hard, as Dollar General opens about three new stores a day! Add up all the major dollar store brands in the US, and they outnumber Starbucks and Walmart combined. Stephan Bisaha of the Gulf States Newsroom plays the game and explains what’s behind the dollar store takeover. The legislative session starts next we...

Last year, Venture Global announced plans to build a liquified natural gas export facility in Plaquemines Parish in a predominantly Black and Indigenous community. But some scientists say this puts the area at risk of being impacted by the gas should the plant be hit by a hurricane or natural disaster.  Sarah Sneath is an investigative climate reporter who reported for environmental news site DeSm...

If you listened to the first episode of our new podcast Sea Change, you’ll know that local seafood producers are being outprices by foreign importers. But recently, Congressman Clay Higgins re-introduced legislation that would increase scrutiny on imported seafood, holding them to the same standards that domestic seafood is subject to.  George Barisich , a third generation commercial fisherman, me...

Political leaders in many Southern states criticize the way schools teach about race in America. One of the latest flashpoints? Advanced Placement African American studies. Some conservative lawmakers have called for a ban on the course. The Gulf States’ Newsroom’s Kyra Miles went into one of the only schools in the region offering the class to hear directly from students. The Marigny Opera Ballet...

It’s a celebration in Baton Rouge as yesterday the LSU women’s basketball team won the NCAA March Madness tournament! The number 3 seed beat number 2 seed Iowa 102 to 83, marking the first time any LSU basketball team has won this tournament, and the fourth win for LSU head coach Kim Mulkey.  Records were broken both on the court and on the TV screen, as viewership for this tournament was up 42% f...

New Orleans is known as both the birthplace of jazz and America’s first city of opera. But what do the two genres have in common? Gwen Thompkins, host of the Music Inside Out podcast, tells us more about the musical  overlaps and how this subject will be explored in a new film series from the New Orleans Opera Association.  The NOLA Project: Theater for the Bold, continues its season with a produc...

We love shrimp in the United States. As a country, we eat over 2 billion pounds a year, making it the most consumed seafood in the country. So times should be really good for shrimpers, right? But shrimpers say things have never been worse and that their whole industry here in the United States is on the brink of extinction. This narrative episode goes on a journey from the fishing docks to shrimp...

African American midwives, also known as granny midwives, were some of the first to universalize the practice of midwifery in the South. Now, a new permanent installation in Jackson is sharing their story. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Maya Miller tells us more. Last week at WWNO we said goodbye to the host of All Things Considered, and the Thursday host of Louisiana Considered, Karl Lengel. For 23 y...

It’s no secret that the issue of gun violence has plagued the New Orleans community for years, but now, there’s a new strategy on its way to address the problem, this time coming from the office of public health. Earlier this year, New Orleans health director Dr. Jennifer Avegnno went before city council to present a vision for a new pubic-health driven approach to dealing with gun violence. She j...

From hurricanes to rising sea levels to relocation efforts, it's no secret that many Louisiana communities are struggling with environmental challenges. That’s why we at WWNO and WRKF are launching a new podcast all about the environmental issues facing coastal communities and the possible solutions.  Producer Carlyle Calhoun and reporters Kezia Setyawan and Halle Parker join us for more on the la...

Earlier this week, the Preventive Medicine 2023 conference met in New Orleans where public health leaders discussed emerging research, tactics for working together, and the future of the field. Dr. Tonette Krousel-Wood, chair of the American College of Preventive Medicine, discusses the importance of preventive medicine in Louisiana and why it’s important to collaborate with public health professi...

After a decisive win against Michigan, LSU women’s basketball is headed to the Sweet 16 round of the March Madness tournament. On Friday, this number 3 seed will face off against Utah, a number 2 seed, in Greenville, South Carolina. Sports columnist for The Times Picayune / The Advocate’s Scott Rabalais has been traveling with the team. He joins us for more on what to expect on the court. Last wee...

As hospitals in rural America close their doors, residents are strapped to find options in an emergency – like going into labor. But a new program in Mississippi provides paramedics and healthcare workers with the training for neonatal emergencies – almost like a delivery bootcamp. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Maya Miller heads into a classroom with an  unconventional teacher. Hayley Arcenaux has wo...

Earlier this year, New Orleans Superintendent Avis Williams announced that the last operating school in the French Quarter, Homer Plessy Community School, would relocate. However, after facing significant backlash, Williams put a pause on this decision. Marie Fazio, education reporter for The Times-Picayune | The Advocate, tells us where we go from here. The New Orleans Opera Association is closin...

The Patois Human Rights Film Festival is back for its 20th year in New Orleans. This year’s films present a range of topics from indigenous midwifery to Louisiana communities fighting climate change.  Jazz Franklin, filmmaker and collective member of the Patois Film Festival, tells us more about this year’s event. The nation’s oldest freshwater fishing tournament is back, as the 74th annual Big Ba...

For the past few weeks, LSU has welcomed a series of journalists to the Manship School of Communication to lecture students on the importance of unbiased journalism during polarized times. Guests have discussed a range of topics, including reporting on the Trump administration and uncovering the truth behind the school shooting in Uvalde. For more on this series, LSU benefactor, retired attorney,...

New Orleans and the Gulf South are not known for their great public transit. But some New Orleanians remember a time when the buses in the city were much faster and more reliable. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Stephan Bisaha and Carly Berlin report on the region’s hopes for a better bus future while it deals with today’s transit problems. In December of last year, we carried a piece detailing the jou...

For over 200 years in the United States, sugar cane field burning has been a tool that farmers use in the pre-harvest season to remove the tops of the sugar cane plant. However, the smoke from that burning can cause fog in the air, which leads to low visibility along roads and highways. This has been enough of a problem to cause road accidents, and in Louisiana, it has even caused some fatalities....

The New Orleans City Council is getting closer to passing new laws governing short-term rentals like Airbnbs. WWNO’s Carly Berlin has been tracking the potential changes. She sat down with Louisiana Considered producer Alana Schreiber to debrief us on recent news and to tell us what’s coming next. Earlier this month, The Task Force on State Recognition of Indian Tribes met for the last time withou...

Earlier this month, the Green Schools conference convened in New Orleans, bringing together students, parents, and educators to advocate for more sustainability in school buildings. Topics spanned from green buildings, resilience, zero waste, energy efficiency, and decarbonization. Anisa Heming, director for the Center for Green Schools, joins us for more on the future for sustainable schools in N...

The First Street Foundation recently released its 7th National Climate Risk Assessment: Worsening Winds. The report highlights the impact of increasing risk from hurricane winds to houses, buildings and property. It also looks at how the intensity of hurricanes and their ability to reach new areas will change over the next 30 years due to a changing climate. Washington Post reporter Brady Dennis j...

Loyola University in New Orleans is working on educating its students – and its community– about the importance of media literacy. This includes knowing how to discern fact from fiction, news from opinion and how to identify fake news.  Laurie Phillips, associate dean of Information Resources & Systems at the Monroe Library Loyola University, who teaches a course, “Facts and Misinformation.” S...