Stephan Bisaha
Stephan Bisaha is the wealth and poverty reporter for the Gulf States Newsroom, a regional collaboration between NPR and member stations in Alabama (WBHM), Mississippi (MPB) and Louisiana (WWNO and WRKF). He reports on the systemic drivers of poverty in the region and economic development.
Before joining the team, Stephan spent three years as an education reporter for the Kansas News Service, a network of member stations in Kansas. He also spent a year as a Kroc Fellow for NPR, where he did the data analysis for an investigation into the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, produced Weekend Edition and reported in Birmingham.
He was born and raised in New Jersey. His hobbies include cooking, improv and physical fitness.
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After Katrina wiped the town out, Bay St. Louis rebuilt itself into a coastal paradise. But insurance challenges limit who can live there. -
Despite progress in East Biloxi, a historically Black neighborhood remains worse off post-Katrina, according to residents. -
For the first time since Hurricane Katrina made landfall 20 years ago, you can take a train ride across the Gulf Coast, from Mobile to New Orleans. -
While much of the city was rebuilt over the past 20 years, it has never fully recovered. The cost of rebuilding has been prohibitive for many former residents. -
The bulk of sales for many independent grocers come from SNAP. Cuts to the program could leave some making hard decisions about their future. -
Home insurance is getting pricier as hurricanes and wildfires get worse. States are trying new incentives, encouraging homeowners to retrofit homes against disasters to get an insurance discount. -
Supporters say the line will boost tourism in the three states it connects, especially for the Mississippi cities along the coast. -
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. -
Small businesses, like The Little House in New Orleans, are a common target for cyber crimes. Experts say social media companies should do more to stop them. -
Port fees on Chinese-built ships and operators will start in October, further raising the cost of trading with the United States.
