Louisiana Considered Podcast Patrick Madden

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 sometimes, for defendants who are not native English speakers, the real concern is the right to an interpreter. 

In Louisiana, there are nearly 200 interpreters registered to translate a total of 22 languages. Today, we are joined by one of those interpreters, Kip Britton, who tells us how he learned to communicate in over 10 languages, and discusses the nuances of breaking down the complicated legal system for non-English speakers. 

In mid-May, the federal COVID-19 public health emergency declaration ended, and with it pandemic relief funding across the country. Some families are feeling the effects of that drop in benefits, especially when it comes to caring for children. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Maya Miller reports from a diaper bank in the Mississippi Delta, where staff are seeing a surge in demand.

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz and our engineers are Garrett Pittman and Aubry Procell.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 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.

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 movement on the Mighty Mississippi.

The talk is already heating up in this fall’s gubernatorial race here in Louisiana, with fundraising in full swing and attack ads already on the airwaves. Now, a group of Louisiana’s largest public affairs organizations are setting out to educate not just the voting public – but also the candidates themselves – about the issues important to the state.

Barry Erwin, president and CEO of Council for a Better Louisiana, tells us more about this nonpartisan effort from RESET Louisiana. 

Community college enrollment may be on the decline nationwide, but Louisiana schools are bucking this trend. W. Chandler LeBoeuf, Governmental and Public Affairs Officer for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, tells us why and explains how this benefits the state’s higher education system.

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz. Our engineers are Garrett Pittman and Aubry Procell. 

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 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.

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 misinformation. 

Public health reporter Rosemary Westwood reported this story for WWNO and WRKF. She joins us now for more. 

Tulane’s Summer Lyric Theatre is gearing up for its 56th season. Interim artistic director C. Leonard Raybon has chosen a selection of classic musicals to fill the summer months, beginning with Meredith Willison’s The Music Man. He joins us with choreographer/director Diane Lala for more on the upcoming performances.

Ocean science and climate justice come alive in PearlDamour’s Ocean Filibuster, a unique immersive music theater experience opening this week at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. The work, written by Lisa D’Amour and directed by Katie Pearl is billed as an epic “human vs ocean” showdown, set in a future Global Senate. Ocean Filibuster writer and co-creator Lisa D’Amour joins us with the details. 

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz. Our engineers are Garrett Pittman and Aubry Procell.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 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.

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 Program Manager, Jeb Linscombe, and Nuisance Alligator Control Operator, Kim Crochet. 

 

Late last month, the 2023 Regional Edward R. Murrow awards were announced, a prestigious recognition that honors excellence in broadcast journalism. Here at WRKF and WWNO, two of our reporters received awards: Rosemary Westood, who won for her continuing coverage of reproductive rights in the Gulf South; and Alana Schreiber, who won for excellence in innovation. They join us for more on their stories and what this recognition means. 

But first, content creator Joshua Darien started making videos on TikTok about Southern urban legends last summer. Since then, the Alabama native has amassed a loyal following. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Taylor Washington reports on his new opportunities for telling these spooky stories.

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz. Our engineers are Garrett Pittman and Aubry Procell.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 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.

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 Birmingham, Alabama, who received a water bill for $20,000, and learns why water costs often far exceed what residents expect. He also gives us an update on the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board’s plan to install more smart meters in homes to allow residents to track their water usage. Then, he’s joined by the Gulf States Newsroom’s Deputy Editor, Rashah McChesney, for more information on their upcoming series, Utility Bill of the Month.

The election for the next governor of Louisiana is just six months away, and here on Louisiana Considered, we are bringing you a series of interviews with the candidates. 

Today we bring you a conversation with Republican State Treasurer John Schroder. He spoke to the Times-Picayune’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace, about his long tenure in state politics and what he hopes to accomplish if elected.

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Halle Parker. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz. Our engineers are Garrett Pittman and Aubry Procell.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 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.

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. 

Earlier this month, Dial’s son and fellow artist Richard came to the gallery alongside other family members for a panel discussion about his father’s creativity, resourcefulness and contributions to the art community. Richard, along with exhibit curator and fellow Alabama-native Paul Barrett, join us for more. 

But first, it’s Thursday and that means it’s time to catch up on this week in politics with The Times Picayune’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. We learn more about the Republican state senator who recently blocked a ban on healthcare for transgender youth, and hear about new legislation that would allow residents to carry concealed firearms without a permit. 

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz and our engineers are Garrett Pittman and Aubry Procell.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 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.