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Hear the latest from the WRKF/WWNO Newsroom.

SNAP costs to rise in La.; Tulane archeologists use light beams to research Mayan research; return of the house call

Tulane research professor Marcello A. Canuto, professor in the Tulane School of Liberal Arts and director of MAR (right) I, discuss findings with lidar technology with Francisco Estrada-Belli
Kenny Lass
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Tulane University
Tulane research professor Marcello A. Canuto, professor in the Tulane School of Liberal Arts and director of MAR (right) I, discuss findings with lidar technology with Francisco Estrada-Belli

Louisiana will have to pay a larger share of its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) because of changes made in the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” to shift costs to states. Starting in October, Louisiana will be required to pay an additional $50 million. In October 2027, a cost increase could occur based on the state’s error rate.

WRKF’s Alex Cox spoke with Gina Plata-Nino, SNAP director for the Food Research and Action Center, for more.

When we think of researching ancient civilizations, we imagine archeological digs, bushwhacking through jungles and dodging wild animals. Yes, researchers still do that today, but they also rely on modern technology to learn about the past. Marcello Canuto, Tulane professor and director of the Middle American Research Institute, has spent much of his career researching Mayan civilizations, debunking many of the things we thought we knew. And a lot of research happens in a lab in New Orleans. He and his colleagues will present their findings at an upcoming Maya Cities Symposium at Tulane from March 5-7 — which is free and open to the public.

Canuto joins us for more on the role of technology in archeology.

For a long time, Louisiana has struggled with the health of new mothers and babies. Now, New Orleans is tackling that problem with the return of an old-fashioned practice: the house call. WWNO’s former reproductive healthcare reporter Rosemary Westwood shares more.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. 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.

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Alana Schreiber is the managing producer for the live daily news program, Louisiana Considered. She comes to WWNO from KUNC in Northern Colorado, where she worked as a radio producer for the daily news magazine, Colorado Edition. She has previously interned for Minnesota Public Radio in St. Paul.