It’s college football season and LSU returns to the field this weekend to face the other Tigers, Clemson. This will be the first season opener for Lane Kiffin as LSU’s head coach, after he came to the purple and gold last year mid-season, abruptly leaving his post at Ole Miss. Reporter for the Baton Rouge Advocate, Reed Darcey, joins us to preview the season. Throughout the Western history of conservation, protecting nature has often meant removing people. It's what happened during the creation of many of America's national parks. But what if protecting nature didn't have to mean displacing the people who call it home? That's the question that brings us to Culatra, a small fishing island off Portugal's southern coast, and one of the country's seven natural wonders.For decades, the Portuguese government saw only one way to save the fragile lagoon surrounding Culatra: kick out the residents. This episode follows part one of a woman's decades-long fight for her island — and the unlikely alliance she built along the way with the very scientists once sent to evict her.___Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. 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 Wednesday, we discussed Governor Jeff Landry’s NDAs with SpaceX prior to announcing the company planned to build a new, massive facility in Vermilion Parish. Today, we’ll check in with The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace, to discuss the political implications of this partnership. St. Landry Parish is officially designated as the Horse Capital of Louisiana. But in recent years, the trails have become more violent, seeing an increase in reported shootings. This threatens a deeply rooted Southern tradition, one that, in particular, celebrates the legacy of Black cowboys.Zeta McCaskill has been reporting on this uptick in violence for the Current. She joins us with the latest. The Saenger Theatre is gearing up for its 2026 season. Starting on September 22, touring Broadway shows will make their way to the Crescent City. Some shows, like the Sound of Music and Jersey Boys, might be familiar to listeners. While others, like The Outsiders and Just in Time, are newer hits. General manager of the Saenger Theatre David Skinner joins us with the details. —Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos 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!

For the past few weeks we’ve been discussing non-disclosure agreements signed by state lawmakers in regards to state development projects, namely Meta’s data center in Richland Parish. Recently, news broke that more officials signed NDAs about a new SpaceX site in Vermillion Parish. Gulf States Newsroom Reporter Drew Hawkins joins us with the latest. The team behind NPR’s student podcast challenge is heading in a new direction. The senior podcast challenge won’t focus on high school or college seniors, but zoom in on listeners who are 65 and older. The initiative asks seniors to hit the record button and tell us their stories of family lore, finding love, funniest memories and hopes for the future.Steve Drummond, NPR’s senior editor on the society and culture desk, and Janet Woojeong Lee, culture desk producer, joined Louisiana Considered producer Alana Schreiber for more.—Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production 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, the NPR App 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!

WWNO’s Culture Collision brings New Orleans’ arts and cultural organizations together for an evening designed to connect audiences with the city’s vibrant creative community. This year’s event takes place Wednesday Sept. 2, and gives people a chance to discover local organizations, learn about upcoming performances and programs and find new ways to engage with the arts. WWNO’s business manager and the coordinator of Culture Collision, Jameeta Youngblood, tells us more. Many of us have a relative who exists more as legend than history — the guy at the kitchen table stories get told about, whose legacy gets a little bigger every time. For Gulf States Newsroom intern Tanner O'Neal Riley, that relative is his grandfather, Sgt. Perry Robertson White. White was one of the first Black officers to serve in the New Orleans Police Department after it reopened its doors to Black officers in 1950. Riley never met him. By the time he was born, his grandfather had been gone a decade–and there was almost nothing on paper to remember his life and contributions. So, Riley spent five years finding his grandfather’s records.He joins us now to discuss what he found, and what he learned about the reintegration of the NOPD.__Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Sara Henegan. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber, and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. 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, the NPR App, 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!

WWNO’s Culture Collision brings New Orleans’ arts and cultural organizations together for an evening designed to connect audiences with the city’s vibrant creative community. This year’s event takes place Wednesday Sept. 2, and gives people a chance to discover local organizations, learn about upcoming performances and programs and find new ways to engage with the arts. WWNO’s business manager and the coordinator of Culture Collision, Jameeta Youngblood, tells us more. Many of us have a relative who exists more as legend than history — the guy at the kitchen table stories get told about, who gets a little bigger every time. For Gulf States Newsroom intern Tanner O'Neal Riley, that's his grandfather, Sgt. Perry Robertson White. White was one of the first Black officers to serve the New Orleans Police Department after it reopened its doors to Black officers in 1950. Riley never met him – by the time he was born his grandfather had been gone a decade – and there was almost nothing on paper to remember his life and contributions. So, Riley spent five years finding his grandfather’s records.He joins us now to discuss what he found, and what he learned about the re-integration of the NOPD.__Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Sara Henegan. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber, and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. 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, the NPR App, 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!

Legislation to increase the number of years a wrongfully incarcerated person could receive compensation passed unanimously in the legislature this past session. But it was among the handful of bills Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed. Capitol Access reporter Brooke Thorington talks to an exoneree who would have benefited from the change, and lawmakers who question why it was vetoed.Back in August, a task force assembled to review the formula that’s been used for more than 30 years to fund and distribute state dollars to local school districts. The 15 members of this group have the daunting task of studying the Minimum Foundation Program, or MFP, which allocates $4 billion annually to schools, and then recommending a revised or replacement formula. The nonpartisan advocacy group Leaders for a Better Louisiana is not part of the task force, but it has developed a primer of sorts to aid in understanding what the MFP is, how it works and why it’s important. Better Louisiana Chief Policy Officer Barry Erwin joins us with more.A 16-year-old Baton Rouge Magnet High School student took first place this summer in an oratorical competition conducted by the national organization 100 Black Men of America.Niles Haymer II, who’s part of the Project Excel program with 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge, won with his speech, “What Leadership Means to Me,” which he presented at the national conference in New York City. We hear from Haymer, alongside his oratory coach, Jeremy Blunt. Blunt won the Top Participant Award at the conference, which honors outstanding individuals who complete the 100 Black Men of America Leadership Institute. Then, we’ll listen to Haymer’s speech.—Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos 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, the NPR App 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!

There was a time back in the 1980s when overfishing had decimated popular fish like red snapper and grouper in the Gulf. But then, there was a dramatic turning point, when both fish and fishermen in the Gulf were kind of saved. Today, we hear the remarkable success story of how unlikely partners joined forces to save an industry and an ecosystem.In this episode, Environmental Defense Fund's Executive Director, Amanda Leland, water resilience author, James Workman, and fisherman, Buddy Guidon, talk about how catch shares created a quiet revolution.To learn more, check out Amanda and James' book, Sea Change: Unlikely Allies and a Success Story of Oceanic Proportions.---This episode was originally published on October 13, 2025. It was hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and Michael McEwen. Michael conducted the interview. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski, and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Carlyle Calhoun is the executive producer. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Sea Change is also supported by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

Kemp's Ridleys are the most endangered sea turtle on the planet... can they lose their nickname of the "heartbreak turtle"? Today, we go on a journey to the remote Chandeleur islands to try to find the mysterious Kemp’s Ridley turtles, who, after 75 years, have been discovered on the shores of Louisiana. It’s a story of loss and restoration, of hope and heartbreak.---This episode was originally published October 2, 2023. Hosted by Sea Change managing producer Carlyle Calhoun. Editing help by Nora Saks, Garrett Hazelwood, and Halle Parker. Our sound designer is Maddie Zampanti. Sea Change is a production of WWNO and WRKF. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

The Lemon Tree Mound is a sacred place for the Atakapa/Ishak-Chawasha tribe. And it's disappearing under the rising waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In this episode, we travel out into the bayous of South Louisiana to understand what this one small sacred place means for the Land Back Movement and climate justice, and why efforts to save our coast matter, even if they really mean only buying time.Click here to read more about the return of the sacred land to the tribe, and here to learn more about the efforts to save it.---This episode originally aired December 5, 2024. It was hosted and reported by Eva Tesfaye, Drew Hawkins and Danny McArthur. Carlyle Calhoun is the managing producer. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste.Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We're a part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. 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.

Louisiana’s coast is rapidly disappearing into the Gulf, threatening not only the land, but also the people and the culture that make it special. Instead of mourning the coast, a new series from PBS member station WYES is celebrating it. Eco Trip is the Gulf South's first eco-adventure television series that combines outdoor adventure, authentic travel, rich cultural traditions and environmental discovery. Host Tom Gregory jumps into each adventure firsthand, creating an authentic look at the culture, history and perseverance that has shaped coastal Louisiana for generations. He spoke with the coastal desk’s Eva Tesfaye for more.Back in May, WNYC’s On the Media released a podcast all about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — “American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA.” The four-part series chronicled the agency from its founding to its current uncertain status in the Trump Administration. The second episode takes a deep dive into the failings of FEMA during Hurricane Katrina. Earlier this year, we spoke with reporter and host of the series Micah Loewinger. Today, we’ll look back on that conversation.—Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos 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, the NPR App 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!