Too many local news outlets have disappeared in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. The Gulf States Newsroom was created to ensure that stories related to health care, criminal justice, the economy and other important issues continue to be told. WWNO and WRKF in Louisiana, WBHM in Alabama, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and NPR are working together as a regional newsroom to plan coverage, share resources and add reporting power in a story-rich region that has for too long gone under-covered.
Support for the Gulf States Newsroom comes from WBHM, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, NPR, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, the Public Welfare Foundation and the Trust for Civic Life. To learn more about the Gulf States Newsroom, email connect@gulfstatesnewsroom.org.
The Regional Team:
Ryan Vasquez, acting managing editor based at WWNO in New Orleans
Orlando Flores Jr., deputy managing editor based at WWNO in New Orleans
Stephan Bisaha, senior reporter covering economic mobility based at WBHM in Birmingham
Kat Stromquist, senior reporter covering justice, incarceration and gun violence based at WWNO in New Orleans
Drew Hawkins, public health reporter based at WWNO in New Orleans
Nellie Beckett, community engagement producer based at WBHM in Birmingham
Joseph King, sports and culture reporter based at WBHM in Birmingham
Marci Schramm, development director based at WWNO in New Orleans
Andrea Miller, business manager based at WBHM in Birmingham
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The Democratic leader’s speech at CrescentCare was part of a national tour aimed at elevating health care as a defining issue ahead of the 2026 elections. -
While incarcerated at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, Duncan would help hundreds of prisoners file appeals for their cases and motions for improved treatment. -
Christina Dent talks about founding End It For Good, her journey to rethinking drugs and addiction and how Mississippi can change its approach, too -
Despite the opioid crisis’ deadly toll, U.S police treat drug use as a criminal issue. But in the Netherlands, a public health approach has seen better results. -
Nurses across the U.S. protested outside of the offices of senators Tuesday. Cassidy voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed 51-50. -
Supporters say the line will boost tourism in the three states it connects, especially for the Mississippi cities along the coast. -
Accounts of reentry are notable as juvenile life without parole cases continue to undergo review. Attorneys and advocates say progress on reviews is halting in some states. -
Alabama has 44 certified SANEs for the entire state. Louisiana has 42. Mississippi only has 6 — for a population of almost three million. -
Mississippi ranks near the bottom for the size of its tech industry. But despite its shortcomings, some believe the state is not far from its own tech boom. -
State lawmakers — both Republican and Democrat — are sounding the alarm on proposed cuts that could strip Medicaid coverage from nearly 190,000 Louisianans.
