Louisiana Considered WWNO/WRKF Newsroom

The 2024 Paris Olympics have officially begun, and Louisiana is boasting plenty of Olympians this year, both LSU students and Bayou State natives. But we also have no shortage of para-athletes gearing up for their own games beginning on Aug. 28.One of those athletes is Jillian Elwart, a paracanoe racer getting ready for her Paralympic debut. She is also a certified prosthetist at Shriners Children’s in Shreveport, the same hospital where she was once treated. She joins us to talk about her journey to the Paris Games.This fall, construction will begin on a long-awaited plan to revitalize the Maurepas Swamp in LaPlace, Louisiana. Located on the route between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the swamp has long been suffering from tangled trees, saltwater intrusion and deforestation that happened decades ago. Glenn Ledet, executive director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, tells us more about the plan dubbed, “River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp.”Dollar General is changing how people in some of the most rural parts of the country get their groceries. The discount chain now says it sells fresh produce at more stores than any other retailer in the country.The Gulf States Newsroom’s Stephan Bisaha drove across Alabama to see what this means for towns with few places to buy healthy food.___Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Ryan Vasquez. 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 noon 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!

In the last few months, more than 15,000 Louisianans have been kicked off of food stamps. This comes after COVID-era work requirement waivers expired, with most Louisiana residents losing SNAP benefits in January. Nick Chrastil, a reporter for The Lens NOLA, tells us why thousands more Louisianans are expected to lose their benefits due to a new state law. On Sunday, President Biden announced that he was officially dropping out of the presidential race. Shortly thereafter, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. Louisiana’s Democrats were quick to pledge their support for Harris, including 51 of the state’s 53 democratic envoys to the DNC, Congressman Troy Carter, Democratic Party Chair Randal Gaines, and even famed Democratic strategist and media personality James Carville. But what are the rank-and-file Democrats saying?Devin Davis, a 27-year old political organizer for the group Voters United to Educate who is also running against U.S. Representative Troy Carter in this fall’s election joins us with his take. There’s a movement in the South to train more nurses to help people following a sexual assault. It’s part of a decades-old program that gives medical professionals tools to provide trauma-informed care, and it’s now free to attend. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins visited one of these trainings to learn how this kind of treatment could help with prosecutions.—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 noon 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 push to unionize auto plants in the South appears to have lost momentum. This comes after a big loss in May when workers at a Mercedes factory rejected joining the United Auto Workers.Stephan Bisaha of the Gulf States Newsroom visited the UAW’s campaign in Montgomery, Alabama to learn why it’s so hard to unionize in the Deep South.Last week, the large core of the Artemis II moon rocket left an assembling facility in Michoud, Louisiana and headed for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is just the latest journey for the rocket, which is set to launch into space late next year.NASA engineer Chandler Sheuermann tells us about this upcoming mission to the moon, what will make the launch historic, and Louisiana’s role in assembling the rocket. This weekend, hundreds of artists from across the country will work on a single project aimed at exploring how artists can help build healthier communities. Their aim is to explore how art can improve the overall health and well-being of communities. One of the participating locations in this nationwide project is in Baton Rouge. Mike Weary, artist-in-residence at the Arts Council for Greater Baton Rouge tells us about the city’s involvement and what he sees in the relationship between art and health.----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 noon  and 7:00 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!

In the last few weeks, Hurricane Beryl tore through the Caribbean, made landfall in Texas and continued northward. As it drowned Houston in floodwaters, leaving millions without power, some impacts were felt in west and southwest Louisiana.The Coastal Desk’s Eva Tesfaye talked with state climatologist Jay Grymes about what Hurricane Beryl can tell us about the rest of Louisiana’s hurricane season.The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company is gearing up for a presentation of A Streetcar Named Desire at The Marigny Opera House. Director Augustin Correro and actors Charlie Carr and Robinson J. Cyprian discuss what it’s like to bring this classic New Orleans story to life.This summer is heating up and kids across the state are looking for ways to keep cool in the pool. Taylor Oelking, executive director of community aquatics for the YMCA of Greater New Orleans tells us about new initiatives focusing  on water safety and education. ___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 noon 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!

On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced that he will not seek re-election. This comes after weeks of calls for him to step down amid concerns about his age after a poor debate performance and concerns over his age. Shortly after his announcement, he endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination.Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace joins us for more on what this means for Louisiana and the nation. Next month, three new laws go into effect, tightening restrictions on certain types of photo sharing. The bills signed into law during Louisiana’s 2024 legislative session change the definition of what the state considers an illegal “nonconsensual disclosure of a private image.”  State Representative Rodney Lyons, D-Harvey, tells us more about these bills and how they support his goals to protect the privacy of his constituents. The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is well known for their slew of projects that help to revitalize the local environment. Between recycling oyster shells, restoring native plants and providing leadership opportunities for youth, there’s no shortage of ways to get involved. James Karst, director of communications and marketing for CRCL, tells us more about their summer volunteer opportunities. ___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 noon and 7pm. 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!

Fishing has long been a dangerous and capricious industry, where luck – in harvests, weather, accidents – has almost as much to do with a captain’s success as his skill. The annual blessing, an old European tradition established in Bayou La Batre by a Catholic family of transplants from Louisiana, was a bulwark to ever-present risks. Shrimp boat captains would decorate their boats with festive flags and parade along the bayou, receiving a blessing from the Archbishop of Mobile, a little courage to go back out to sea. But in 2023, while the blessing went on, there were no commercial boats  to be seen. For the Southern Foodways Alliance’s podcast Gravy, reporter Irina Zhorov travels to Bayou La Batre to speak with shrimpers: some of whom have lost interest or faith in the Blessing and others who see it as a vital tradition.