Gulf States Gumbo
Your weekly serving of stories from Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana — cooked up by the Gulf States Newsroom. We're a team of journalists working with NPR & local public radio stations (WBHM, WWNO, WRKF, Mississippi Public Broadcasting) to cover the issues that matter to you – all across the region.
Celebrating Public Radio Music Day in the Gulf South
This week's episode of the Gulf States Gumbo is all about music.
The seventh annual Public Radio Music Day is Wednesday (Oct. 28), and in the wake of massive cuts to public media, this year's celebration is more important than ever.
Public radio stations with music programs — like our partner stations in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi — bolster local musicians and music economies. They bring their communities together through live events and digital spaces. And they preserve regional history and culture.
Regional News Editor Tanya Ott talks with some of the hosts of our region's music...
Happy Birthday, Gumbo! Looking back at some of our best episodes
This week's episode of the Gulf States Gumbo marks the show's second anniversary!
To celebrate, Regional News Editor Tanya Ott looks back at some of the best episodes of our show's run so far — from the cost of hurricane evacuations and covering major live events to special investigations cooked up by the team.
This episode is hosted by Ott, who is also a producer for the show. The podcast is produced by Aubri Juhasz, Maya Miller, Elise Catrion Gregg, Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is...
A celebration of the Gulf South’s King of Rock and Roll
In this week's episode of the Gulf States Gumbo, community engagement reporter Elise Catrion Gregg hosts a double feature looking at how Mississippi celebrates Elvis Presley — Tupelo's native son and the King of Rock and Roll.
Joining her is Nick Perkins, an Elvis Tribute Artist and the 2018 champion of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Competition at the Tupelo Elvis Festival.
This episode is hosted by Elise Catrion Gregg. The podcast is produced by Aubri Juhasz, Maya Miller, Drew Hawkins, Tanya Ott, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is ou...
Why doesn't the Gulf South have any tribal colleges?
On this week’s episode of the Gulf States Gumbo, we’re talking about tribal colleges and universities — known as TCUs — and why our region has none.
Community engagement reporter Elise Catrion Gregg shares her reporting, and we look at how some TCUs are still reaching students in the South.
This episode is hosted by Aubri Juhasz. The podcast is produced by Maya Miller, Elise Catrion Gregg, Drew Hawkins, Tanya Ott, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supre...
Gulf South communities are figuring out how to benefit from the AI boom
On this week’s episode of the Gulf States Gumbo, senior reporter Drew Hawkins and youth and families reporter Aubri Juhasz talk about one of the strongest selling points for data centers in the Gulf South — jobs.
Aubri takes us to Louisiana Delta Community College in Monroe, where students are training to become data center technicians.
This episode is hosted by Drew Hawkins. The podcast is produced by Aubri Juhasz, Maya Miller, Elise Catrion Gregg, Tanya Ott, Orlando Flores, Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement prod...
Why is an international extreme sports event obsessed with Birmingham, Alabama?
On this week’s episode of the Gulf States Gumbo, sports and culture reporter Joseph King digs into why Birmingham, Alabama, has caught the attention of one of the world's premier extreme sports competitions.
The head of location scouting for FISE — Festival International des Sports Extrêmes — says Birmingham has "one of the best skate parks in the U.S. It's unbelievable!"
This episode is hosted by Orlando Flores Jr. The podcast is produced by Aubri Juhasz, Maya Miller, Elise Catrion Gregg, Drew Hawkins, Tanya Ott, and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie...
The cost of putting the world’s largest spaceport in coastal Louisiana
On this week’s episode of the Gulf States Gumbo, senior reporter Drew Hawkins takes us to Pecan Island — where SpaceX is building the world’s biggest spaceport.
State officials are hyping it up, but residents fear it’ll do irreparable damage to the place they call home.
This episode is hosted by Elise Catrion Gregg. The podcast is produced by Aubri Juhasz, Maya Miller, Drew Hawkins, Tanya Ott, Orlando Flores Jr., and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme.
To get...
NPR's Stephan Bisaha on housing affordability, swimming pool rentals & more
Gulf States Newsroom's former economic mobility reporter Stephan Bisaha has written about data centers, Dollar Generals and housing affordability. Now, at NPR, he covers personal finance, capturing stories of economic impacts on southern communities.
In this week's episode of the Gulf States Gumbo, Stephan joins government and democracy reporter Maya Miller to talk more about his work.
This episode is hosted by Maya Miller. The podcast is produced by Aubri Juhasz, Elise Catrion Gregg, Drew Hawkins, Tanya Ott, Orlando Flores Jr., and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is our community...
Gulf States Gumbo Live: Katrina: The Next 20 Years
Last year, the Gulf States Newsroom examined the 20 years since Hurricane Katrina in a live event at the Prytania Theater.
This year, we returned to the Prytania on August 20th, where our development director Marci Schramm convened a panel of scientists, activists and community leaders working to organize and protect New Orleans ahead of future natural disasters.
We started with a short documentary screening from the Katrina Archive, followed by a presentation by documentary filmmaker Dr. Wesley Shrum and Louisiana State Museums’ Becky Mackie.
Senior reporter Drew Hawkins also sat down with Dr. Br...
The first rule of NDAs: You can’t talk about the NDAs
Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are becoming a common tool for concealing negotiations over large industrial developments in Louisiana.
Gulf States Newsroom’s senior reporter Drew Hawkins joins us to round up months of reporting on NDAs across Louisiana government — from the 50-plus elected officials and 121 state employees who've signed NDAs with Gov. Jeff Landry's administration, to Landry's own agreement with Meta, to Rep. Julia Letlow's matching NDA and the stock trades she failed to disclose on time.
This episode is hosted by Tanya Ott. The podcast is produced by Aubri Juhasz, Elise Catrion Gregg, Maya Miller, Drew H...
Summer reading and a Gulf South back-to-school round-up
School is back in session in the Gulf South. So this week, the Gulf States Gumbo is, too.
First, we start in Algiers Point, on the Westbank of New Orleans.
Research shows many students don’t read enough and are behind when they return to school.
One way to fight this? Book clubs. We visit a middle school book club meeting at the Cita Dennis Hubbell Library to learn more.
Also, Youth and Families reporter Aubri Juhasz sits down with Trisha Powell Crain, with the Alabama Daily News and Alabama Public Te...
Mississippi communities are gathering to talk voting rights amid redistricting efforts
After the Louisiana v. Callais decision, which says states cannot draw congressional district lines based on race, lawmakers are clamoring to redistrict parts of the region.
In this week's episode, we get two dispatches from democracy and government reporter Maya Miller, who visited Southaven, Mississippi, where voting rights organizations have joined forces for the People’s Hearing. The events are a slate of community meetings where residents offer oral and written testimonies on redistricting and voting in the South.
And, she also has a conversation with Southern Poverty Law Center Mississippi State Policy Director Sonya Wi...
Introducing: Black Box, a new podcast from Deep South Today
This week, we’re doing something a little different by bringing you a preview of a new podcast from our partners at Deep South Today.
“Black Box” is a 5-part series that follows Mississippi Today’s mental health reporter Allen Siegler’s work tracking the state’s opioid settlement funds — and the people it’s supposed to help.
It really drives home the importance of having every available tool for treating addiction, and how Mississippi has — or has not — used money intended to help with the opioid crisis to expand access to tools like MAT, rehab, Narcan and othe...
How Shreveport plays a key role in the tangled history of addiction treatment
More than a million Americans have died of drug overdoses since the year 2000. Despite the staggering loss, one tool for treating opioid addiction has been tangled up in politics, stigma, and money for decades.
Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, has a long and complicated history in the U.S., including a direct connection to the Gulf South.
On this week’s episode, we're joined by Emily Dufton, drug historian and author of the new book “Addiction, Inc.”
Dufton takes us back to a 1920s morphine clinic in Shreveport, Louisiana — one of the most successful in the cou...
Gulf South summer’s costs: From day camp prices to mental health crises
It is hot outside. And while historical, state-wide temperature records have not been broken, the Deep South is experiencing persistent summer heat waves with heat indices frequently exceeding 105°F.
It’s also been noticeably warmer-than-average in the overnight hours. That adds extra strain to local power grids and affects public health. When GSN senior reporter Drew Hawkins looked into it, he found something surprising — a relationship between heat and mental health crises.
Also on this week’s show, reporter Aubri Juhasz spends time in summer camp — a tradition that’s getting more and more expensive, but there a...
Tornadoes and community ties: What the social networks of Rolling Fork teach us about responding to crises
In 2023, a set of tornadoes wreaked havoc on the South, with the worst damage done in the small Mississippi town of Rolling Fork.
Researchers from the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium spoke with residents shortly after that. This year, they published a paper on how communities can change responses to weather crises.
On this week's episode, community engagement reporter Elise Catrion Gregg spoke to the researchers about what they learned about responding to weather emergencies and how we can use communities to prepare better.
This episode is hosted by Elise Catrion Gregg. The podcast i...
A look at education savings accounts in the Gulf South
On this week’s episode, we say hello to a new team member and discuss the school choice movement in the Gulf South.
WWNO’s and WRKF’s Aubri Juhasz is joining the team as our new Youth and Families Reporter. She jumps into the host chair this week to talk with community engagement reporter Elise Catrion Gregg about a story they co-reported on education savings accounts.
They’re similar to school vouchers, where states basically give scholarships to families to help them pay for private school tuition.
The two discuss implementation issues of the a...
A viral climate study, and the local response to it
On this week’s episode, we’re talking climate change and a recent Tulane University study that made waves online.
WWNO’s and WRKF’s Aubri Juhasz and Eva Tesfaye join us to talk about The Guardian’s article on the study, titled: ‘‘Point of no return’: New Orleans relocation must start now due to sea level rise, study finds.
The two discuss what they found reading through the study it’s based on, the national media coverage of it and how locals are responding to it.
This episode is hosted by Elise Catrion Gregg. The...
Sitting down with the Southern Music Research Center
On this week’s episode, community engagement producer Nellie Beckett talks with Burgin Mathews, director of the Southern Research Music Center, about the culture and history of music in the Gulf South.
The Southern Music Research Center is a public online archive of rescued recordings, rare photos and flyers, oral history interviews, and other artifacts from a deep diversity of musical genres and eras. Founded by Birmingham English teacher and scholar Burgin Mathews, the nonprofit catalogs the musical expressions, traditions and histories of the American South.
Nellie speaks to Burgin about the work of archiving So...
The communities caught in the crossfire of redistricting
On this week’s episode, community engagement reporter Elise Catrion Gregg talks with Greg LaRose, editor of the Louisiana Illuminator, about the local effects of redrawing electoral maps.
Redistricting is playing out across the Gulf South following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. Most of the redrawing is occurring at the state level, but local representation is just as vulnerable without protections under the Voting Rights Act.
Elise speaks with local officials in Mississippi about their concerns with redistricting on the horizon, and Greg breaks down what cuts to local repr...
Jefferson Parish has the most opioid overdoses in Louisiana. How is it spending money intended to help?
On this week’s episode, we take a look at how the parish with the most opioid overdoses in Louisiana is spending its opioid settlement money.
Jefferson Parish is receiving the largest share of money from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers, marketers and distributors. But an investigation from senior reporter Drew Hawkins and Verite News senior reporter Katie Jane Fernelius shows, so far, the parish has spent little of the money. And some believe what it has been spent on may not be the best investment.
This episode is hosted by Drew Hawkins. The podcast is p...
The state of FEMA with On the Media’s Micah Loewinger
On this week’s episode, community engagement producer Nellie Beckett talks with Micah Loewinger about his recent podcast "American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA" — On the Media’s four-part series on the Federal Emergency Management Administration, the beleaguered federal agency that handles natural disasters, including hurricanes.
Loewinger discusses FEMA’s response to Hurricane Katrina, the experience of reporting on the historic tragedy and the media’s role in disaster preparation and response.
This episode is hosted and written by Nellie Beckett, who is also our community engagement producer. The podcast is produced by Matt Bloom, Eli...
Hip-hop and social-emotional learning at a New Orleans high school
On this week’s episode, we learn about an organization that uses hip-hop and a social-emotional learning curriculum to better connect with students.
Jamila Sams created We Do It 4 The Culture five years ago. The organization went to New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School for its first-ever School Cypher Summit, and partnered with rising rap star La Reezy — who’s from New Orleans and a Sci High alumnus.
This episode is hosted by Joseph King, who is also our social producer. The podcast is produced by Matt Bloom, Elise Catrion Gregg, Drew Hawkins, Orland...
How Jarvis DeBerry covers the Gulf South
On this week’s episode, we hear from veteran journalist Jarvis DeBerry on the latest news coming out of the Gulf South.
DeBerry discusses the case of Calvin Duncan, and what it says about how Louisiana treats the people it has wronged, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, and what it could mean for voting rights across the region, and whether the Gulf South is once again leading a national reversal — and what that pattern tells us about where we are as a country.
This episode is hosted by Drew Hawkins. The podcas...
Talking 'Night Owl' with Mississippi's Aimee Nezhukumatathil
On this week’s episode, we celebrate both National Poetry Month (April) and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Aimee Nezhukumatathil.
Nezhukumatathil, a professor at the University of Mississippi, is a poet, essayist and firefly guide for Mississippi State Parks.
She talks with the Gulf States Newsroom’s Elise Catrion Gregg about her latest collection of poems, “Night Owl.”
This episode is hosted by Elise Catrion Gregg. The podcast is produced by Matt Bloom, Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is our comm...
How the war in Iran is impacting Mississippi Delta farmers
On this week’s episode, we take a look at how the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is affecting the Gulf South.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused the price of fuel and fertilizer to skyrocket. Senior reporter Drew Hawkins took a trip through the Mississippi Delta to talk to farmers about how rising costs are pushing many to the brink.
This episode is hosted by Elise Catrion Gregg. The podcast is produced by Matt Bloom, Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beck...
The long road back to voting restoration in the Gulf South
On this week’s episode, we take a look at how Alabama stands as a possible model of voting restoration for Mississippi — and some of the challenges that Alabama residents say make it an imperfect system.
Community engagement reporter Elise Gregg discusses how even in states where voting restoration isn’t as complicated, practical considerations still bar people from civic life. She also breaks down what people in Alabama and Mississippi say would make the systems easier to navigate.
This episode is hosted by Joseph King, who is also our social producer. The podcast is produced...
Following the opioid settlement money in Mississippi
On this week’s episode, we’ll dig into Mississippi’s decisions on who gets opioid settlement funding — and who doesn’t. The state’s legislature has finally appropriated millions of dollars received as a result of lawsuits with opioid manufacturers, marketers and distributors.
Senior Reporter Drew Hawkins and Community Engagement Producer Nellie Beckett talked to hundreds of Mississippians with lived experience of addiction, asking how they think the money should be spent.
Drew has been following along the entire process — from the advisory council forming, meeting, and making recommendations, to lawmakers appropriating funding and the state’s go...
Gulf South sports roundup: Teams on the move, NIL and college eligibility
This week’s episode is all about sports in the region — from a minor league team moving across state lines, to Name, Image and Likeness deals.
The Birmingham Squadron recently played its last home game in the Magic City ahead of a move to Kenner, Louisiana — just outside of New Orleans — later this year. Sports and culture reporter Joseph King went to the team’s final home game in Birmingham to talk to fans about the move.
Also, Joseph brings us the story of an Auburn University football player using money earned from a Name, Image and Li...
Did your elected official sign an NDA? If you live in Louisiana, the answer is yes
On this week’s episode, we look at the legal agreements elected officials in Louisiana are signing to conceal large developments — like data centers.
Senior reporter Drew Hawkins takes us through his investigation, what he found and what it means for communities where large developments involving public money are planned without public knowledge.
This episode is hosted by Elise Catrion Gregg. The podcast is produced by Drew Hawkins, Matt Bloom, Elise Catrion Gregg, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by...
Restoring voting rights in the Gulf South
On this week’s episode, we look into voting restoration efforts in Mississippi.
Community engagement reporter Elise Gregg walks us through how disenfranchisement affects Mississippians with a felony conviction, how lawmakers are pushing for automatic restoration and how Mississippi compares to the rest of the Gulf South.
This episode is hosted by Nellie Beckett, who is also our community engagement producer. The podcast is produced by Matt Bloom, Elise Catrion Gregg, Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme.
To get...
Why Mississippi Delta farmers are struggling right now
On this week’s episode, we take a look at some of the challenges farmers are facing in the Mississippi Delta.
Public health reporter Drew Hawkins sat down with Kevin Draper, a New York Times reporter, about what he learned talking to rice farmers in the region.
This episode is hosted by Ryan Vasquez. The podcast is produced by Matt Bloom, Elise Catrion Gregg, Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme.
To ge...
How Louisiana’s LNG exports are driving out fishermen, driving up utility bills
On this week’s episode, we take a look at liquified natural gas exports in the Gulf South.
Public health reporter Drew Hawkins went to Cameron, Louisiana, to talk with fishermen about how the multibillion-dollar industry has reshaped the landscape, the economy and the daily lives of the people who have lived here for generations.
And Paul Blest from More Perfect Union joins us to talk about a new documentary he and Drew worked on that explores the impacts of LNG.
This episode is hosted by Drew Hawkins. The podcast is produced by Matt...
How Mississippi is spending its opioid settlement funds
On this week’s episode, we take a look at the state of opioid settlement funds in Mississippi, as state lawmakers debate how to spend them.
Public health reporter Drew Hawkins breaks down the data of the opioid crisis.
Nellie Beckett also joins us to talk about the importance of community engagement in this reporting project.
This episode is hosted by Elise Catrion Gregg. The podcast is produced by Matt Bloom, Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our them...
Officer Clemmons’ Neighborhood
On this week’s episode, we sit down with Grammy award-winning singer, actor and author Dr. Francois Clemmons.
Our sports and culture reporter Joseph King interviewed Dr. Clemmons for a special broadcast of WBHM’s Memories & Milestones program to celebrate Black History Month. Dr. Clemmons is best known for his role as Officer Clemmons on "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood."
This episode is hosted by Joseph King, who is also our social producer. The podcast is produced by Elise Catrion Gregg, Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Our theme mu...
How communities are building back in Mississippi after January’s winter storm
On this week’s episode, we take a look at what storm clean-up looks like in northern Mississippi.
Community engagement reporter Elise Catrion Gregg takes us to Lafayette County, where many residents are slowly recovering — and others are still without power. We’ll also see how community organizations are taking the wheel on relief efforts.
This episode is hosted by Ryan Vasquez. The podcast is produced by Joseph King, Drew Hawkins and Orlando Flores Jr. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme.
The plastic babies and plastic beads of New Orleans Mardi Gras
On this week’s episode, we’re heading to the Mardi Gras parade route in New Orleans.
We hear from WWNO’s education reporter, Aubri Juhasz, about what it takes to make a King Cake.
And public health reporter Drew Hawkins brings us a story about one Mardi Gras Queen pushing for a more sustainable Carnival.
This episode is hosted by Elise Gregg. The podcast is produced by Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ...
Winter storm slams the Gulf South
On this week’s episode, we take a look at how one of the worst winter storms in years slammed into the Gulf States – and what the fallout has been.
Thousands across the South were left without power, in the freezing cold, for days. Mississippi, in particular, was hit hard. Over a week later, counties in the north still had tens of thousands of people without power.
We talk with community engagement reporter Elise Gregg about how officials responded to the storm and Kobee Vance, of Mississippi Public Broadcasting, who went to one of the areas...
How New Orleans author, journalist Delaney Nolan finds hope in her new novel
On this week’s episode, we talk with Gulf South author and journalist, Delaney Nolan, about her first novel, “Happy Bad.”
As an investigative journalist covering heat deaths, pharmaceutical exploitation and coastal land loss, Nolan has spent years reporting on the systems of neglect and bureaucratic cruelty that drive her fiction.
Public health reporter Drew Hawkins sat down with Nolan to discuss her book and how her journalism informs her fiction.
This episode is hosted by Drew Hawkins. The podcast is produced by Elise Catrion Gregg, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Becket...
The legal battle over Louisiana’s 10 Commandments law
On this week's episode, WWNO education reporter Aubri Juhasz talks with us about the legal battle behind Louisiana’s attempt to display the Ten Commandments in public schools.
We also hear from senior reporter Kat Stromquist on the impact recent immigration enforcement in New Orleans could have on Mardi Gras tourism.
This episode is hosted by Drew Hawkins. The podcast is produced by Elise Catrion Gregg, Kat Stromquist, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme.
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