New Orleans

How HBCUs are helping grow the next generation of Gulf South environmental activists

Marginalized people often bear the brunt of environmental injustices. An annual conference in New Orleans is shaping young Black leaders to solve these issues.

Is planting trees ‘DEI’? Trump administration cuts nationwide tree-planting effort

The Trump administration's efforts to end DEI programs is hitting some unexpected targets, including a nationwide effort planting shade trees in neighborhoods to reduce extreme heat.

New Orleans has beefed up security for Mardi Gras. For smaller parading krewes, it’s costly

The city is requiring more police officers at parades this year, putting higher costs on smaller, independent krewes vital to New Orleans’ Mardi Gras heritage.

Tourism in New Orleans remains strong despite terrorist attack. Will the trend last?

The Super Bowl is in town, and so far, fears that visitors would avoid the big game because of January’s attack on Bourbon Street have not rang true.

U.S. veterans work to make sense of New Year’s Day incidents: It’s ‘doubly tragic’

U.S. veterans are worried that two deadly incidents involving current and former service members could increase stigma, or paint veterans as somehow damaged.

In New Orleans, focus shifts toward community recovery, healing after terror attack

Officials and health experts are working to make sure those affected by the Bourbon Street attack have access to the medical and financial resources they need.

Q&A: The little-known history of how enslaved people were jailed in antebellum New Orleans

Author John Bardes discusses how Louisiana’s complicated history with mass incarceration began with imprisonment being used as a tool against enslaved people.

One-day strikes are in: Why unions are keeping it short on the picket line

Strikes can be a double-edged sword. Keeping them short can help workers gain leverage while minimizing the pain for those who don’t have it.

A New Orleans garden paid hundreds of dollars in fees for a sewer that doesn’t exist

Galvez Garden owner Lissie Stewart has been fighting the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board over inaccurate billing for years.

The HBCU Legacy Bowl is more than a game. It also prepares students for life after sports

Organizers for the all-star game, now in its third year, host a career fair where HBCU students and recent grads plan for their futures before the big game.

Opioid overdoses are on the rise. A Louisiana medical student believes Narcan training can help

Losing his brother to an overdose inspired Jacob Bassin to arm his fellow medical students with free doses of Narcan and train them on how to use it.

LGBTQ doctors are leaving the Gulf South due to discrimination: ‘We weren’t welcome anymore’

The loss of specialized doctors due to the influx of anti-LGBTQ laws is the latest blow to a region already dealing with a shortage of health care providers.

Q&A: Why New Orleans’ unhoused people face increased danger from relentless heat

Delaney Nolan discusses her report for The Guardian that revealed a spike in heat-related illness calls among New Orleans’ unhoused people this summer.

In fight to remove divisive New Orleans highway, activists turn to new strategy — an EPA study

The Claiborne Avenue Alliance hopes a study on the health impacts caused by the expressway will support efforts to remediate and potentially remove the highway.

With ‘dollar stores in every direction,’ some communities are saying enough

Dollar General opens about three locations a day. Advocates against the rapid expansion released a four-step guide for keeping stores from opening.

Public transit in the Gulf South is in need of an overhaul. The solution could lie in the past

The Gulf South is not known for its great public transit systems. Some believe Bus Rapid Transit could solve lingering issues and lead to a better future.

In New Orleans, doctors and churches are teaming up to help Black parishioners get needed care

The effort, part of a five-year study, aims to meet Black patients in a space they feel comfortable to treat hypertension and reduce heart disease risks.

Southern Decadence returns to New Orleans, marked by parades and monkeypox awareness

Health officials gave out monkeypox vaccines and encouraged everyone — not just the LGBTQ community — to take the virus more seriously at the annual festival.

Workers at New Orleans Starbucks say yes to unionizing; the 1st in Louisiana

The successful, 11-to-1 vote happened weeks after a former shift supervisor that led the unionization effort was fired by higher management.

How will Avis Williams lead New Orleans Public Schools? Look to her work in Selma

Avis Williams transformed Selma, Alabama’s schools during her five years as superintendent. Now, she’s set to lead New Orleans’ all-charter school system.

‘Better isn’t good enough’: Starbucks workers in Birmingham, New Orleans discuss unionizing

Starbucks stores in Birmingham and New Orleans could be the next to unionize. Those leading the efforts sit down to discuss why and what they've learned so far.

To reduce gun violence, New Orleans is turning to community groups instead of police

Advocates in New Orleans work to curb gun violence by focusing on prevention and community needs over policing and aim to spread it across the Gulf South.

The fate of Amtrak’s Mobile to New Orleans line will be decided by these key issues

Amtrak is making its final pitch for a Gulf Coast passenger train line. The private companies that own the tracks the trains would run on, however, oppose it.

Is New Orleans ready for Mardi Gras? A Q&A with health director Jennifer Avegno

New Orleans is in full celebration mode with Mardi Gras just days away, but where does COVID fit into the equation? The city’s health director has answers.

Amtrak’s proposed Mobile-New Orleans line is ‘a bad idea’ for Alabama, officials say

Mississippi wants to move full steam ahead with plans to restore the passenger rail, but Alabama worries the line will disrupt the freight rail.

Guaranteed income is coming to the Gulf South. Take a look at the 3 programs

Guaranteed income programs are coming to three cities in the Gulf South including Birmingham, which is set to launch soon.

As The Clock Runs Out On $300 Unemployment Benefits, A New Orleans Waitress Is Left In Limbo

The tips Dora Whitfield earned at Harrah’s Casino covered her bills. But like a lot of workers, returning to work isn’t as simple as following the help wanted signs.

New Orleans’ Return To Cultural Parades Is A Step Toward Healing In The South

In April, Mardi Gras Indians held a funeral and parade for one of their own – one of a few large cultural events to occur since the pandemic started and most large events in the region were canceled.

‘Life Raft’ Explores Climate Change In The Gulf Region

Life Raft is a new podcast answering questions about climate change and relieving some of the stress that comes along with all of it.

Will COVID Cancel Halloween? Not Necessarily.

Public health leaders say Halloween celebrations can happen, but with adjustments.

Monuments Law Adds to Alabama’s Troubled Story

Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald discusses a new law that prevents removal of long-standing historic monuments, including those connected to the Confederacy.

Matters of Choice: New Orleans – The Choice Epicenter

Most Southern states allow for some form of school choice – magnet schools, vouchers for private schools, charter schools and more. How do these options affect learning, school demographics, and student success? We explore Matters of Choice beginning with this report from WWNO’s Mallory Falk in New Orleans.