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Hear the latest from the WWNO/WRKF Newsroom.

A Louisiana woman’s fight for respite care; Musaica Chamber Ensemble’s 21st season; barriers to immigration court watching

A handicap parking sign on a parking space
Angel Sharum
/
Wikimedia Commons
A handicap parking sign on a parking space

Ursula Newell-Davis, a social worker, has spent two decades helping vulnerable Louisiana families. But when she tried to open a business to provide respite care for families in need, Louisiana’s Facility Need Review prohibited her.

Now, she’s fighting the state to provide in-home respite under Louisiana’s Right to Earn a Living Act.

Newell-Davis and her attorney, Samantha Romero-Drew, join us to discuss their fight and what it could mean for families across Louisiana.

The Musaica Chamber Ensemble is entering its 21st season with a change in leadership and a new lineup of chamber music performances across the New Orleans area. This season explores musical conversations across centuries and cultures, from Bach and Beethoven to living composers and music inspired by the Mississippi Delta.

Musaica’s outgoing president Bruce Owen and ensemble member Josiah Bullach join us for a conversation on the transition and the season ahead.

Immigration courts are generally open to the public, with a few exceptions, like if the case involves a child or matters of national security. But local advocates say they sometimes face obstacles to court watching, and the problem is not just in Baton Rouge.

WRKF’s Report for America Corps Member Alex Cox tells us more.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Sara Henegan. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber, and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. 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, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to.

Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Sara Henegan is the host of All Things Considered and the Tuesday host of Louisiana Considered. As a life-long listener and fan of NPR, Sara loves any opportunity she gets to speak with other public radio nerds about their shared love of news, arts, culture, and public media in general.
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.