Louisiana Considered

It’s an election year, and lawmakers in Baton Rouge spent a lot of time this spring discussing ways to change Louisiana’s voting system. One driving force behind a lot of the discussion was Secretary of State Nancy Landry. Landry, a Republican, has said that Louisiana elections are secure and well-run. Still she supported over 11 bills this session as part of her ‘election integrity package’, that include a ban on ranked-choice voting, tighter rules around absentee ballots and the creation of a new ‘division of election integrity’ within her department. She joins us for more on how these changes will impact voting in November. Juneteenth is just around the corner, and the Whitney Plantation in Wallace, Louisiana is gearing up for its second annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival. Director of education Erika Hernandez tells us for more on the significance of celebrating the liberation from slavery in a space where it was once the law of the land. Last week, we reported on two schools in New Orleans that not only closed for the summer, but closed for good. But in Jackson, Mississippi, the number is even higher, as 11 public schools have permanently shut their doors. The Gulf States Newsroom's Maya Miller went to the now-shuttered Wingfield High School's graduation where parents felt a mix of joy and uncertainty. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

It’s pride month, and this weekend, New Orleans has no shortage of events, including “gay ghost tours,” Black queer fests and a parade. In Baton Rouge, Pride Fest is coming on June 29, featuring a slew of performances at the Raising Cane’s River Center. But this month also a time of remembrance for darker chapters in Louisiana’s queer history. In June of 1973, a fire at the UpStairs Lounge – a gay bar in New Orleans’ French quarter – took the lives of 32 people. It was the largest mass killing of LGBTQ people at the time. Last year, Louisiana Considered’s Alana Schreiber spoke with local historian Frank Perez about Louisiana’s queer history, and the impact and legacy of the fire. Today we give that story a second listen. Then, we hear a series of reflections from Vincent Gloriosi Jr., the attorney who represented the victims and families seeking justice in the fire’s aftermath. His story was captured by Joe Shriner and Mark Cave, who recently spoke with Glorioso for NOLA Life Stories, a series from the Historic New Orleans Collection. Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered is hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

It’s Thursday, and it’s time for The Week in Politics. Joining us is Stephanie Grace, editorial director and columnist for the Times Picayune/The Advocate. This week, we recap the biggest pieces of legislation passed during the latest legislative session. Lawmakers limited access to abortion medications, gave the governor’s office more power and rewrote rules regulating the insurance industry, among other big changes. Houma will host its first annual summer Gospel Fest on June 8. The event will be run by the New Zion Baptist Church and feature choirs from around Terrebonne Parish and other parts of the state. Proceeds of this event will help fund a new computer literacy program in Houma’s east side. For more on this upcoming festival we are joined by Travion Smith, Chairman of the Leadership Committee for New Zion Baptist Church. Louisiana saw its hottest summer on record last year. And forecasts are predicting this summer could be another scorcher. The trend poses health risks to people living in southern Louisiana, but there are ways to prepare. To discuss the outlook for heat, we’re going to check in now with Jay Grymes, interim state climatologist for Louisiana and chief meteorologist at WAFB in Baton Rouge. Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The 1940s are the heyday for Black baseball in Alabama, the peak of the Negro Leagues – starring a high schooler named Willie Mays. But when the Major Leagues integrate, Black teams everywhere start to fold. On this episode, host Roy Wood Jr. speaks with surviving players from the Birmingham Black Barons about the soaring highs and painful lows of Negro League baseball in Alabama. Roy also explores the struggle for equality and human rights in Birmingham that served as the backdrop of this era. We see how these communities and stories overlap, and how the effort to uphold segregation leads to the temporary end of professional baseball in Birmingham. This episode was written and produced by Jonah Buchanan and hosted by Roy Wood Jr. Our executive producer is Alana Schreiber and our senior producer is Ben Dickstein. Our producers are Jonah Buchanan and AL.com’s Cody D Short. Mixing and sound design by Joaquin Cotler and story editing by Ryan Vasquez. Artwork by Xavier Murillo. Original music composition by Squeak E. Clean Studios. Voice tracking by Alt Mix Studio. Special thanks to Paul Maassen, The Friends of Rickwood Field, Birmingham Public Library archives, AL.com and WBHM. For more stories on Rickwood Field, check out https://www.al.com/rickwood-field/ This podcast is produced by WWNO and WRKF. Distributed by the NPR network in association with Major League Baseball.

At least two charter schools in New Orleans held their final graduations this past spring. One of them - the Living School in New Orleans East - was known for its unique approach to education. Instead of focusing on test scores, it promoted equity, community and project-based learning. But state assessments recently gave the school an “F” ranking on standardized tests. Still, leaders and parents of students have fought to keep it open. Reporter Nate Ha covered that fight - and joins us for more about the school. The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane is presenting “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged.” This show is a comical journey through all 37 of the bard’s plays in just 90 minutes. Actors Keith Claverie, Ian Hoch and Lauren Malara join us today for more. Between fast currents and submerged trees, there’s no shortage of dangers on the Mississippi River. But for more than two decades, a canoe company in the Gulf South has been working to teach kids not to fear the country's primary waterway. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Danny McArthur takes us on a ride down the river with a group of kids learning both about outdoor adventure and efforts to help protect the Mighty Mississippi. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Marksville is gearing up for their third annual Louisiana Rural and Economic Development Summit in Marksville, Louisiana. At this summer’s LaRuE summit, industry leaders, business professionals, and experts in agriculture and technology will gather to discuss the challenges facing rural communities – with the goal of building more partnerships between agencies and Native American tribes. Chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe Marshall Pierite joins us for more on this summit and what he hopes it can accomplish. Louisiana is the country's second largest seafood producer, but its commercial fishermen are, on average, among the oldest in the country, as tough conditions are turning away younger generations. Reporter for Axios New Orleans Chelsea Brasted tells us how this trend is raising concerns for the industry and consumers. Louisiana has a connection to aviation history that many don’t know. The first helicopter was invented in 1922 by a man from Alexandria named Leo Ortego. More than 100 years later, his niece Mariane Elizabeth Nevill, published the book, “Leo’s War,” that serves as a fictionalized account of her uncle’s life based on the stories she heard about him while growing up. She joins us to discuss this book and how she hopes it can celebrate the state’s aviation history. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Today on Louisiana Considered, we hear the second part of the latest episode of Sea Change: Redfish Blues. We learn the story of the red drum, better known as the classic redfish, and whether the decline of this fish is a warning of a bigger collapse. This episode was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization. This episode was reported and hosted by Boyce Upholt. Halle Parker introduces the show. The episode was edited by Carlyle Calhoun and Morgan Springer. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Emily Jankowski is our sound designer, and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. To check out more of Boyce's work: Pick up a copy of his new book about the Mississippi River, coming out in June. It’s called The Great River. And, find other stories on his Substack called Southlands. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time to catch up on the week in politics with Stephanie Grace, editorial director and columnist of the Times Picayune/The Advocate. We’ll get the latest on the effort to hold a constitutional convention this summer, as well as the status of a few other pieces of legislation. Louisiana is getting very close to becoming the latest Republican-led state to approve education savings accounts, more commonly known as ESAs. The accounts give parents tax dollars to spend on private school tuition and other expenses. It’s Gov. Jeff Landry’s signature education proposal and he’s been pushing hard for it all session. Aubri Juhasz, WWNO/WRKF education reporter, joins the show with more on where the proposal stands. Hurricane season officially starts on June 1. We take a look at what state officials are doing ahead of a potential storm, and one local area’s efforts to make preparing for a hurricane a family affair. We begin with Jacques Thibodeaux, director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Corey Miller, community engagement director of the Pontchartrain Conservancy, also joins the show to discuss how residents can get ready for a major storm. ____ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

On May 29, Major League Baseball announced it’s officially changing some long-held records to include Negro League statistics. Josh Gibson, who played most notably for the Homestead Grays in a career that lasted from 1930-46, is now credited as having the highest career batting average. And Satchel Paige, former pitcher for the Birmingham Black Barons, takes the record for third lowest earned run average in a single season. While Birmingham is often remembered as one of the fiercest battlegrounds of the Civil Rights Movement, it's also a city where baseball was once king. Home to Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in the country, the city has seen segregated baseball, Negro League baseball, a women’s suffrage event, a Klan rally and eventually, the first integrated sports team in Alabama. On June 20, Major League Baseball will host a regular season game at Rickwood as part of continued efforts to honor Negro League history. In the lead-up, “Road to Rickwood” podcast host Roy Wood Jr. returns to his hometown of Birmingham to tell the story of this legendary ballpark. In the first episode, we learn how Rickwood uplifted Black and white communities from the beginning, while also enforcing segregation. ___ This episode was written and produced by Ben Dickstein and hosted by Roy Wood Jr. Our executive producer is Alana Schreiber and our senior producer is Ben Dickstein. Our producers are Jonah Buchanan and AL.com’s Cody D. Short. Mixing and sound design by Joaquin Cotler and story editing by Ryan Vasquez. Artwork by Xavier Murillo. Original music composition by Squeak E. Clean Studios. Voice tracking by Alt Mix Studio. Special thanks to Paul Maassen, The Friends of Rickwood Field, Birmingham Public Library archives, AL.com and WBHM. For more stories on Rickwood Field, check out https://www.al.com/rickwood-field/ This podcast is a production of WWNO and WRKF. It’s distributed by the NPR Network. Support comes from Major League Baseball, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Explore St. Louis.

Louisiana’s Northshore is home to roughly 264,570 people, but it’s never had a Pride parade — until now. This year, organizers are hosting the area’s first-ever parade to celebrate LGBTQ pride along Lakeshore Drive in Mandeville. Event organizers Mel Manuel and Jeremy JF Thompson tell us about the more than 200 floats and krewes set to walk, and what it means to celebrate pride during a time when LGBTQ rights are under threat. Taxis and rideshares are a vital part of New Orleans’ economy, but they’re not always accessible for people with disabilities. In fact, there’s only one wheelchair-accessible taxi driver in all of New Orleans. Chelsea Brasted recently reported on this for Axios New Orleans. She joins us for more on the impacts of limited accessible transportation in the city. Artist Matt Scobey is turning heads towards the sky with his latest installation of a towing figure at the Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition, presented by The Helis Foundation. Jessie Haynes, managing director of the foundation, joins us for more on the latest works of art. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Gov. Jeff Landry signed a first-of-its-kind law Friday that designates common pregnancy medications as “controlled dangerous substances” in Louisiana. The law easily passed the legislature last week and takes effect October 1. Reproductive health reporter Rosemary Westwood tells us why hundreds of local physicians have argued that the law could endanger women’s health. The Louisiana Supreme Court recently struck down a 3-year “look-back window” for sexual abuse survivors to file legal claims. Sophie Hayssen is a reporter and fellow at Mother Jones covering the ruling. She tells us why some abuse survivors are devastated by the ruling. For the first time in more than two centuries, two broods of periodic cicadas are expected to emerge from the ground at the same time. Brood XIX is on a 13-year cycle, while Brood XIII is on a 17-year cycle. The last time they lined up was 1803. But scientists have noted the last time Brood XIX emerged in 2011, there were no recorded sightings in Louisiana, meaning it could be extinct in the region. Aaron Ashbrook, an assistant professor at LSU's Entomology Department, joins us to explain what this all means. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The red drum, more commonly known as the classic redfish, is a popular fish in the region. But now, the population is starting to decline. What does it say about a bigger collapse of similar species? Boyce Upholt, a reporter for the Food & Environment Reporting Network based in New Orleans, tells us about the rise and fall of this famous fish on the first part of the latest episode of Sea Change. Black baseball history runs deep in the South, and New Orleans fielded plenty of talented teams, including New Orleans Black Pelicans, Crescent City Stars and Armstrong Secret 9. But the stories of some of the most talented Black athletes to come out of the city have been lost to time. This includes Johnny Wright, a player in the Negro Leagues Brooklyn Dodgers just months after Jackie Robinson, who almost became the first Black pitcher in the Major Leagues. Back in October, we spoke with Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro League Baseball Museum, about Wright and his legacy. Today, we give that story a second listen. And before we go, next Wednesday we are airing the first episode of our new podcast, Road to Rickwood. Hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr., and executive produced by Alana Schreiber, the podcast looks at the history of Rickwood Field in Birmingham Alabama —the oldest baseball stadium in the country — and how that one venue touched multiple historic events throughout the 20th century. Today, we get a sneak peek of the podcast. Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Don Marshall, executive director of Jazz Fest, is officially retiring after 20 years. Throughout his time, he’s weathered Hurricane Katrina and COVID while also bringing the festival to financial solvency. He joins us today to reflect on 20 years of Jazz Fest memories, and how the festival created opportunities to promote New Orleans’ unique musical culture and traditions. Gov. Jeff Landry is facing resistance as he pushes his agenda — and some of it’s coming from inside the state’s Republican party. The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace, tells us why some Republicans are creating roadblocks for the governor. Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered is hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

This year’s legislative session has been an active one when it comes to criminal justice and public safety. Gov. Jeff Landry called a special session on crime earlier this year, where legislators undid many of the state’s 2017 criminal justice reforms. Alaina Bloodworth, executive director of the Black Public Defender Association, says public defenders are often excluded from the debate about how to lower crime rates. The Bayou Culture Gathering is hosting a conversation about building resilience in coastal communities in Louisiana this Friday. It’s in conjunction with the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX), an organization that addresses community planning efforts for Louisiana communities. Jeannette Dubinin, director of resilience & adaptation for CPEX, discusses ways to help the people living along the coast adapt to higher flood risks, population shifts, a changing economy and more. What does it mean to be “home?” Growing up, Leona Tate was made to feel like she didn’t belong. In 1960, she was one of three Black children who desegregated New Orleans schools. Her legacy continues today. As part of WWNO/WRKF’s collaboration with NPR’s Next Gen Radio, Tate shares her thoughts on the meaning of home. Her story was produced by Samantha Jackson, a rising senior at Xavier University of Louisiana. ___________________ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

It can be easy to miss your neighborhood bus stop in New Orleans. That’s because a lot of stops don’t have a sign. More than a year and a half after the city overhauled its bus routes to be more rider-friendly, virtually none of the 2,000 or so stops in the city have new, permanent signage. That’s causing headaches for some riders. Bobbi-Jeanne Misick, reporter for Verite News, recently looked into the issue. In the rural South it can be difficult for families to get updates on loved ones who are in prison or jail. That's true when someone is hurt — or even dies — while in custody. As the Gulf States Newsroom's Kat Stromquist reports, an effort is underway to help give families more information about what happens behind bars. Musical theater is alive and well in uptown New Orleans as the Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University gears up for its 57th season. Leonard Raybon, artistic director, joins Louisiana Considered with all the details. More information on Summer Lyric Theatre’s 57th season is available here. _____ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

More than half of American children spend time in at least one weekly non-parental care arrangement, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. More than 60% of those kids attend a daycare center, preschool or prekindergarten program. New research shows that in Louisiana, nearly one-third of early care and education workers are, at any given time, considering quitting their jobs. The finding comes from a survey by the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC). Dr. Candace Weber, LPIC partnership director, joins the show to discuss the implications of low-pay and burnout. You might have heard of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” compounds that are in our water, soil and even our food. They’re linked to many health issues including cancer. The federal government is finally “cracking down” on PFAS The Coastal Desk’s Eva Tesfaye explains what that means for Louisiana’s water and what residents should know. Today is Veterans Day at the Louisiana State Capitol. It’s a chance for service members to interact with state officials and legislators. An honor medal ceremony is also planned. It’s all ahead of a women veterans symposium which will take place at the end of this month. To talk more about veterans’ accomplishments, specifically female vets, we’re joined by retired Air Force Colonel Charlton Meginley, the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

College graduations across the country have been disrupted this month as students continue to protest Israel’s war in Gaza. Xavier University of Louisiana canceled its commencement speaker, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, after nearly 1,800 people signed a petition asking she be removed. Tulane University, the site of a recent pro-Palestinian encampment, has upped security measures for its graduation this Saturday. To get a sense of how students are feeling, Aubri Juhasz, WWNO and WRKF’s education reporter, spoke with a senior at Tulane about her experience as a student and reporter for the school’s newspaper, The Hullabaloo. Your local public library is likely getting a new card system for younger readers this summer. A new law requires public libraries across Louisiana to get parents’ consent for minors to access “sexually explicit materials.” That means many libraries are rolling out more limits on what kids can and can’t access. To help us understand the coming changes, we’re joined by Lynette Mejia, director of Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship. It’s a grassroots group that has worked to keep information open and accessible in Louisiana’s public libraries. Southern coastal communities are seeing some of the world’s fastest rates of sea level rise. That’s affecting all aspects of life for those who live there. The Washington Post has spent months investigating the impacts. Eva Tesfaye, reporter on WWNO/WRKF’s Coastal Desk, recently spoke with Chris Mooney and Brady Dennis, two reporters behind the paper’s new series, The Drowning South, about their findings. You can hear more from Eva’s conversation on Sea Change. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Matt Bloom. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for our look at the week in politics. Stephanie Grace, the Times Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, breaks down the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Louisiana’s new congressional map. The decision means the state’s second majority-Black congressional district will stand for this year’s election. This June, Major League Baseball will host a regular season game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama as a tribute to Negro League Baseball History. Rickwood Field also happens to more than 100 years old. It’s served not only as a venue for America’s pastime, but also for the civil rights movement. For the past few months, Alana Schreiber, Louisiana Considered’s managing producer, has been in and out of Birmingham, working on an exciting upcoming podcast about the history and legacy of this ballfield. She joins the show to share more about the Road to Rickwood. The Mississippi River is a defining part of the landscape of Louisiana, and the entire country. Its watershed drains more than a million square miles of the continental United States each year. But how much do you know about its history? Our next guest has spent years researching the river and the U.S. government’s continued quest to control its flow. Boyce Upholt is a journalist and author of the new book, “The Great River, The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi.” He joins us to share more about the river’s history. _____ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

May is National Bike Month, and we’re dedicating Wednesday’s show to the topic of bike infrastructure in Southern Louisiana. Baton Rouge and New Orleans have been rated as some of the most dangerous places for cyclists in the country. An analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ranks East Baton Rouge Parish the fourth-most dangerous place to cycle in the United States. New Orleans is the sixth-most. We’ll talk with two people advocating for bicycle riding and bicyclists in Baton Rouge and in New Orleans. We’ll talk with a former city planner in Lafayette. And we’ll also hear about how the decisions surrounding how we build our cities affect how easy it is to walk and bike. We’re joined by Mark Martin, chair of the Complete Streets advisory committee of the City-Parish of East Baton Rouge; Allene La Spina, executive director of Bike Easy in New Orleans; and Carlee Alm-LaBar, chief of staff based in Lafayette for Strong Towns, a national organization that addresses urban development and city planning practices. _____ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of doctors across Louisiana are asking lawmakers not to pass a bill that would make abortion medications controlled substances in Louisiana. They've signed an opposition letter to Republican state Senator Thomas Pressly, the bill's main sponsor. Reporter Rosemary Westwood joins the show to update us on the proposal and opposition to it. Nearly half the natural gas pulled out of the ground in the U.S. gets exported overseas, and that number could get even higher over the next decade. A new report out of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice criticizes federal regulators for allowing the rapid growth of the industry without scrutinizing the impact to historically marginalized communities nearby nor its contribution to climate change. Halle Parker spoke with the report’s authors and she joins the show to discuss their findings. Music, food and art will bring crowds of revelers to Bayou St. John in New Orleans this weekend as the 2024 Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo kicks off. The festival, which takes place on the bayou and its banks, is presented by the Friends of Bayou St. John. Jared Zeller, founder, and president of Friends of Bayou St. John and executive producer of Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo joins the show to talk about what’s new at the festival this year. ___ Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.