Talk Louisiana

Casey Phillips, who was the catalyst for the Baton Rouge Walls Project in 2012, looks at the artistic evolution of The Walls in Baton Rouge.-

(LRN)Professor Nancy Rabalais of LSU's Energy, Coast and Environment Department talks about the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico and its impact on the environment.-

(LRN)Former Gov. Edwin Edwards reflects on his upcoming 90th birthday. Edwards is Louisiana's only four-term governor. He went to trial as a defendant four times, was convicted once, and served eight years in prison.He discusses his complex legacy and offers insights on state and national politics. He assesses the performance of Gov. John Bel Edwards and of President Donald Trump.-

(LRN)Actor Carl Palmer is an LSU graduate. He talks about the impact Sam Shepard had on his life and career. Shepard, the actor and Pulitzer Prize winning writer, died this week at age 73.Also on today's program: Paul Marx, former Mike the Tiger caretaker, here.

Former Mike the Tiger caretaker Paul Marx, a well-known lawyer in Baton Rouge, remembers caring for Mike II and even bringing him to his family home one night. LSU is apparently close to unveiling Mike VII, but the mascot will not be present at LSU games this fall.Also on today's program: Edwin Edwards reflects on a complex legacy, here.

LSU Law professor Chris Tyson talks about preparations by President Donald Trump's Justice Department to examine affirmative action policies on college campuses.Tyson also talks with us about the BRAVE program and where funding is going locally for violence prevention.Also on today's program: Bob Mann on Senate votes cast against the Affordable Care Act, here.

LSU mass communications professor Bob Mann talks about Louisiana U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy's decisions to cast votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act.Senator Cassidy, a medical doctor, had said any repeal of Obamacare would have to pass the Jimmy Kimmel test. Mann is a former aide to U.S. Sens. John Breaux, Russell Long, and Bennett Johnston. Mann is also a columnist for the Times-Picayune.

Maj. Gen. Ron Richard discusses his former colleague Gen. John Kelly and Kelly's new role as chief of staff for President Donald Trump. Richard served in in the Marines for more than 30 years before becoming head of the Tiger Athletic Association.Richard is an LSU graduate and resident of Baton Rouge.

(LRN)WAFB-TV anchor Donna Britt talks about her diagnosis with ALS last week. Britt continues to anchor the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts on channel 9 with Greg Meriwether.-

Writer Don Brown tells the story of Captain Jerry Yellin, now 93 years old, in his book, "The Last Fighter Pilot." Yellin flew a mission over Japan after World War II was over, but it was too late to inform Yellin that Japan had surrendered.-

(LRN)Pollster and former politician Ron Faucheux talks about President Trump's remaining popularity in the South despite Monday's Rasmussen poll finding the President's popularity falling below 40%.-

William O'Connor, senior writer for the Daily Beast, talks about the enduring legacy of Huey Long on the landscape of Baton Rouge. O'Connor's feature about the Old Governor's Mansion and its remarkable past is "Strippers, Insane Asylums, Assassination and Termites: Inside the Insane History of the World's Greatest White House Replica."-

(LRN)Dr. Renee Levine of the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital comments on the challenges facing U.S. Senator John McCain. The Arizona lawmaker, who cast the deciding vote on the bill that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act, is facing a grim forecast after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor, Glioblastoma.Also on today's program: George Sells on Donna Britt and ALS, here.

Veteran anchorman George Sells talks about his former co-anchor Donna Britt and her battle with ALS. Sells and Britt were an on-air team at WAFB from 1988 to 2012.-

(LRN)Marjorie Esman with the Louisiana ACLU talks about President Trump's decision to keep transgender soldiers out of the nation's armed forces.-

(LRN)Broderick Bagert of Together Baton Rouge talks about the Senate vote on a measure to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

(LRN)Chelsea Parsons says a gun is stolen from a private owner every 67 minutes in Louisiana. Parsons is Vice President with American Progress, a guns and crime policy organization.-

John Kaufman, Director of Marketing and Programming for the Manship Theatre, comments on events at the arena, which has become a centerpiece for entertainment in downtown Baton Rouge.-

Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White responds to a lawsuit which sought to remove him.A member of the BESE board is calling for a vote on whether to retain White as superintendent, and Governor John Bel Edwards says he would like to see a change at the top.White points to numbers indicating improvement in public schools under his watch.White also reflects on his six years at his post.

(LRN)Laura Shapiro, author of "What She Ate," discusses food stories from remarkable women in history. Shapiro opines that eating habits reveal aspects of character.Also on today's program: Baton Rouge Magnet principal Nanette McCann on public education, here.

Baton Rouge Magnet High School principal Nanette McCann talks about the state of public education in Louisiana. McCann has been leader of one of the nation's leading schools for the past 15 years. She has also been serving as principal of the reopened Lee High School.-

Lynda Schuster, former foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, reflects on experiences including covering war zones and marrying an ambassador. Her book is "Dirty Wars, Polished Silver."Also on today's program: Elbert Guillory and Melissa Flournoy on politics and health care reform, here.

(elbertguillory.com)Former state lawmakers Elbert Guillory, (R)-Opelousas, and Melissa Flournoy, (D)-Shreveport, weigh in on national and state politics as another vote on health care reform looms in the U.S. Senate.-

Richard Painter, Chief White House Ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, analyzes the ethical minefields traversed by the nation's first billionaire chief executive.-

(LRN)Chuck Collins, with the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, discusses economic inequality in the United States. Collins is a philanthropist who gained public attention in 1985 when he gave his inheritance to several foundations at the age of 26.Also on today's program: Hillar Moore on the increase in murders in Baton Rouge, here.

(LRN)East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore comments on the increase in murders in the Capital region, the pending loss of funds for the BRAVE program to combat crime, and the fate of a notorious criminal Todd Wessinger, who had his death penalty reinstated by a court last week.-

(LRN)Author and photographer Sally Westerhausen talks about a meat-free blog that focuses on the adventurous side of vegetarian cooking.-

(Kelly Tate)Sue Lincoln, from WRKF's Capitol Access, talks about the continuing battle between Gov. John Bel Edwards and Superintendent of Education John White.The governor is not ruling out filing a lawsuit designed to remove White from his post.The superintendent says he serves at the pleasure of the BESE Board.

(LRN)Reporter Craig Unger from New Republic talks about the connection between Russia and President Donald Trump.In the latest issue of the magazine, Unger reports Trump has had financial dealings with Russians for more than three decades.Unger writes Trump was also was a guest of the former Soviet Union in an all expenses paid trip with his first wife, Ivanna, in 1987.

(LRN)Author Julie Klam theorizes why Americans are so enthralled by celebrity and meeting famous people. Klam shares about this and her book, "The Stars in Our Eyes."Also on today's program: Mike Bertaut talks about the fate of healthcare as Republican votes erode, here.

Mike Bertaut, chief health care economist for Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana, talks with us about the fate of the Affordable Care Act as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promises a vote for repeal next week.Bertaut will discuss the prospects of more than 400,00 Louisiana residents currently receiving Medicaid benefits.Louisiana Senators Cassidy and Kennedy have not indicated how they will vote on a repeal measure after efforts to replace Obamacare was stymied by the Senate this week.

(LRN)Author Zinni Clemmons talks about how her background as a girl from Philadelphia raised by a South African mother and an American father contributed to her debut novel, "What We Lose." Clemmons notes that issues of race in America are not exclusive to the South.Also on today's program: Manuel Martinez, Baton Rouge's world-renowned tailor, here.

Renowned tailor Manuel Martinez has been in Baton Rouge since 1984 and has been recognized for his work three times at the World Congress of Tailors.Also on today's program, Professor Jacques Berlinerblau on tenure-tracak university professor jobs, here.

(LRN)Professor Jacques Berlinerblau from Georgetown University tells us about his belief that more university professors should have tenure. His book is "Campus Confidential, How College Works, or Doesn’t, for Professors, Parents, and Students."-

Janet Humphreys, former U.S. Intelligence officer and resident of New Roads, talks about her association with General Michael Flynn. President Trump's former National Security Adviser was fired for lying to Vice President Pence about his meetings with Russian officials and is now at the center of the probe directed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.-

Professor Ellen Meacham, who teaches journalism at Ole Miss, talks about Senator Robert Kennedy's memorable visit to Mississippi, which occurred 50 years ago. Meacham is the author of the forthcoming book, "Delta Epiphany: RFK in Mississippi."-

Paul Arrigo, President of Visit Baton Rouge, assesses tourism in the Capital region. We also press Arrigo on his favorite restaurants where he might take visitors from out of town. Arrigo also spends time recalling the tragic shooting of four police officers one year ago today.Also on today's program: Bradley Beychok on the role of the media in the age of President Trump, here.

(LRN)Bradley Beychok discusses the role of media watchdog groups and the interaction between the press and President Donald Trump.Beychok, a Baton Rouge native, is senior adviser and executive chief of staff for American Bridge, a group with ties to the Democratic Party. He was formerly with the watchdog group Media Matters.

(LRN)Colonel Rob Maness talks about his unwavering support for President Trump amid multiple investigations into Trump's 2016 campaign.Maness remains an ardent Trump supporter despite revelations this week of a June 2016 meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and two high-ranking officials of the campaign with a Russian emissary.Maness is a former Louisiana Senatorial candidate.

(LRN)Conservative columnist and commentator Quin Hillyer weighs the dilemma faced by Republicans who are dismayed with the first 25 months of the Trump Presidency.Hillyer is a former aide to Congressman Bob Livingston of Louisiana.

(LRN)Political consultant Raymond Strother comments on the political consequences of the connection between the Trump campaign and Russia. Strother discusses why President Donald Trump remains popular with his base of supporters and is a powerful force in the American South.Strother worked for Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Gary Hart, and many major elected officials,

(LRN)Alexander Howard of the Sunlight Foundation talks about the resignation of Walter Shaub as head of the Office of Governmental Ethics. Howard analyzes ethics issues in the Trump administration.Also on today's program: Bernie Pinsonat on the state of President Trump's popularity in Louisiana, here.

Pollster Bernie Pinsonat talks about President Donald Trump's popularity in Louisiana and how Republican lawmakers in the state might still be reluctant to challenge initiatives from an embattled president.-

Deepa Soul is a Billboard-charting singer from of New Orleans. Soul talks with us about her recording career as an award-winning performing ahead of her performance in New Orleans later this year.Soul is a former LSU journalism student.

East Baton Rouge Councilwoman Chauna Banks talks to us about controversy regarding the location of the Baton Rouge Zoo. She also addresses the pending anti-smoking ordinance and the anticipated decision in the Alton Sterling case.

(LRN)Photographer Aaron Hogan and filmmaker Jency Griffin Hogan talk about "Wanderlust," an exhibition featuring travel photography and film.(LRN)Also on today's program: Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Rallo on funding and TOPS, here.

(LRN)The classic tune "Ode to Billy Joe" by Bobbie Gentry was recorded 50 years ago. Music critic John Wirt is with us today to talk about it.Rolling Stone Magazine ranks "Ode to Billy Joe" among the Top 500 songs of all time.

(LRN)Louisiana's Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Rallo talks about restoration of TOPS and continuing budget woes on college campuses in our state.-

(LRN)Journalist Jason Berry talks with us about the future political prospects of New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu in the aftermath of his decision to remove four Civil War-era confederate monuments.Also on today's program: U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson talks civility in politics, here.

(LRN)In 1998, Celia Farber wrote what is credited as the definitive profile of O.J. Simpson for Esquire. Farber talks with us about what she calls the humiliating end for Simpson.We're talking to Farber because it's two day's before Simplson's 70th birthday.