Louisiana Considered

This weekend, art lovers will don white garments as they gallery hop through New Orleans Warehouse Arts district as part of “White Linen Night.” Arts District New Orleans president Leslie-Claire Spillman joins us for more on the artistic evening. Satchmo Summerfest presented by Chevron is returning to the New Orleans Jazz Museum to honor the life and legacy of musician Louis Armstrong. CEO of Fren...

This Wednesday, the The 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge nonprofit will host, “NOT FROM THIS HOUSE”, a citywide meeting calling 500 Black fathers and sons.for an in-depth conversation surrounding gun violence. We speak to the President and Chairman of the organization, Michael Adams, along with Executive Director Dadrius Lanus to learn more about preventing gun violence with youth mentoring prog...

Earlier this week, New Orleans DA Jason Williams was acquitted on ten counts of federal tax fraud. While his business partner Nicole Burdette was also acquitted of these charges, she was found guilty on four separate counts of falsifying tax returns. The Advocate’s Editorial Director and Columnist Stephanie Grace joins us to share her takeaways from the verdicts. When the Supreme Court overturned...

In a new proposal, the Biden administration stated that schools that discriminate against transgender students risk loosing school lunch funding. In response, State Attorney General Jeff Landry joined 21 other attorneys general in sending a letter to Biden expressing oppositions over the expanded interpretation of Title IX to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ people. WRKF’s Paul Braun tells us...

Henry Roeland Byrd, better known as Professor Longhair, was one of the most beloved and influential pianists in New Orleans history. The exhibit, “Me Got Fiyo: The Professor Longhair Centennial” is on display at the Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge through August 6th. Louisiana State Museum Director Rodneyna Hart tells us more about Longhair’s legacy.  But first, back in June Walmart announced i...

While libraries are free throughout the country, patrons are often stymied by the cost of getting there. Now, the New Orleans Public Library system is offering free RTA passes for teenagers who want to come and access the wide variety of books, computers, and other resources throughout the summer. Shannon Cvitanovic, executive director of the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library, joins us for...

Last Friday, the qualifying window for the next congressional and state elections officially ended. That means Louisianans now know who exactly will be on their ballots in November. WRKF’s Capital Access Reporter, Paul Braun joins us to break down the candidates and the upcoming elections. The Pontchartrain Beach Foundation recently issued a proposal aiming to restore, develop, and support the eco...

Between a temporary wrap on January 6th insurrection hearings and a judge blocking Louisiana’s abortion ban trigger law yet again, it’s been a busy week in politics. The Advocate’s Editorial Director and columnist Stephanie Grace joins us to break down the state and national news.  And speaking of national news, the Supreme Court recently issued a ruling to restrict the EPA’s power in regulating g...

The United Soccer League is coming to New Orleans, hoping to establish two teams, a mens and a women's franchise, by 2025. Louisiana Considered’s Managing Producer Alana Schreiber speaks to Jamie Guin and Warren Smith of USL NOLA for more on the future of soccer in the Crescent City.  But first, it’s National Zookeeper Week, a time to appreciate the hard work, conservation efforts, and passion of...

Back in June when Roe v. Wade was overturned ending the constitutional right to an abortion, that instantly activated multiple state laws to restrict and ban the procedure. In order to navigate these laws in Louisiana and across the South, one doctor in California has an ambitious idea: a floating reproductive health clinic in the Gulf of Mexico. Obstetrician, gynecologist, and professor at the Un...

It’s a first for the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane University as the Bard’s history play, Henry IV, Part 1 is closing out the season. Director Burton Tedesco joins us to share how he’s bringing this drama to the stage for the first time in the company’s 29-year history.  This week, twelve of the world’s top emerging pianists are headed to the Crescent City for the 28th New Orleans Int...

Lafayette, Louisiana’s annual Festivals Acadiens et Creoles is coming up on the second weekend of October. But for festival founder Barry Ancelet, having just one celebration of Acadiana music, cuisine, and customs a year wasn’t enough. Folklorist, ethno-musi-cologist, author, and Professor of Francophone Studies at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, Barry Ancelet joins us to tell us more abou...

Across the country and in Louisiana, lawmakers are taking special interest in school board elections. The Advocate’s Editorial director and columnist Stephanie Grace tells us why Republican legislators in particular are focusing so heavily on these local races.  A growing number of states are setting up state-funded Education Savings Accounts to give more students education opportunities outside o...

“No more denying it – New Orleans isn’t working.” That’s the title of a new letter to the editor in The Advocate | The Times Picayune written by famed American political consultant and strategist James Carville. Raised in the town of Carville, Louisiana, Carville strategized for multiple public office candidates in the United States and abroad, gaining national attention for his role as lead strat...

The recent war between Russia and Ukraine has stoked fears that the situation could escalate into an all-out nuclear war. This has many wondering, what would a large-scale modern nuclear war look like? We know about radiation. But how would a conflict affect the weather, agriculture, and even the climate in the long-term? Cheryl Harrison, Assistant Professor with the Department of Oceanography &am...

If you’re looking for a new summer activity without making a dent in your wallet, “Art for All,” might be perfect for you. The program from the Helis Foundation is offering free admission to art institutions on select days for Louisiana residents. The Helis Foundation’s managing director, Jessie Haynes, tells us more about where and when Louisianans can access these free art exhibits.  But first,...

With gas prices on the rise many are turning to alternative forms of transportation, like electric cars. While Louisianans are currently stymied by a lack of charging stations, there are now plans to change that. Louisiana Secretary of Transportation and Development Shawn Wilson tells us about an influx of federal dollars targeted at growing the state’s EV infrastructure.  But first, Recently, the...

This week the National Federation of the Blind is hosting its annual convention in New Orleans. And among the workshops on accessibility in technology and talks on developments in Braille, is the release of an exciting new documentary. Dubbed Surpassing Sight, the film tells the story of a team of blind cyclists tackling the world’s toughest bike race, the Race Across America.  The two main subjec...

Yesterday on Louisiana Considered, we heard about efforts to install backup generators in community centers and churches to provide electricity in New Orleans during natural disasters. But that’s only one of a handful of recent campaigns to ensure the city maintains power during emergencies. After Hurricane Ida last year, Devin De Wulf, founder of the Krewe of Red Beans, had the idea to start a so...

126 years ago, the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case established separate but equal and led to decades of segregation. Today, descendants from either side of the courtroom are working together. We talk to Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson about their organization, The Plessy and Ferguson foundation, to learn how they came together to promote the teaching of history through mutual understanding....

A new documentary tells the story of how a friendship between two historians led to the founding of the National World War II Museum. Dubbed, “Founded on Friendship & Freedom: The National World War II Museum,” the one-hour feature is set to premiere next week. Producer Marcia Kavanaugh joins us with the details on the film and the legacy of this friendship. The exhibit, Queen Nefertari’s Egyp...

Dr. Avis Williams is just days away from stepping into the role of superintendent of New Orleans public schools. Today we look back on her interview with WWNO’s Education reporter, Aubri Juhasz, to learn about her journey to this role and what she hopes to bring to the position.  Today is the fourth of July, and it’s a time when many reflect on centuries of American history. But there are some who...

Over the weekend, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches inducted its 2022 class. And from football, to gymnastics, to rodeo, this year’s inductees spanned a wide array of sports categories, even including some coaches, managers and journalists. Chairman of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Doug Ireland, and former New Orleans Saints football guard recently inducted into the Hall of Fa...

The FBI has opened an investigation into sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in New Orleans going back decades. Investigators are looking specifically at whether priests took children across state lines to abuse them. Associated Press reporter Jim Mustian first broke the story, and he joins us today for more. But first, as Louisianans prepare for tropical storm season, many are asking, what les...

In a week chock full of Supreme Court news, justices recently weighed in on the redistricting debate taking hold in Louisiana by putting a temporary hold on the lower court’s order requiring a second majority Black congressional district. WRKF’s Capital Access Reporter Paul Braun tells us where this latest ruling leaves the redistricting maps. Over in Baton Rouge, the Pennington Biomedical Researc...