Helena Moreno is the newly elected Mayor of New Orleans, and we break down what her first few weeks in office are signaling for the city. We talk through what she’s inheriting from the previous administration, including the budget deficit, public works challenges, and long standing infrastructure issues, and what early actions suggest about her priorities during the political honeymoon period.

We also dig into visible changes residents are already noticing, like streetlight repairs, road work, and pedestrian safety enforcement, while staying honest about the skepticism many New Orleanians feel after years of broken systems. The conversation covers recent controversies around Mardi Gras spending and DJ pay, questions about sustainability leadership in city government, and what accountability could look like moving forward. As always, we’re watching closely, staying critical, and tracking whether early momentum turns into lasting change.

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Community colleges in Louisiana are doing far more than most people realize, and we’re breaking down why they matter now more than ever. This week, we lean on Charles’s perspective as a professor at Nunez Community College to unpack how schools like Nunez and Delgado are expanding access, partnering directly with industry, and creating real pathways into high-demand fields like healthcare, aerospace, coastal restoration, culinary arts, and technology.

We also dig into the shifting perception of community colleges, why more students are choosing them as a first option, and how dual enrollment, credential programs, and workforce-driven curriculum are helping keep talent in Louisiana. From affordability and accessibility to fighting brain drain, we explore why community colleges are quietly shaping the future of education and the economy across the state.

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Leah Chase School is New Orleans’ first traditional public school run by the Orleans Parish School Board in nearly 20 years, and its early struggles have sparked a much bigger conversation. We break down why the school is facing declining enrollment and financial challenges, and why those issues can’t be separated from the city’s post-Katrina shift to an all-charter system, the loss of neighborhood schools, and decades of disruption to educators, families, and communities.

We also zoom out to connect K–12 education to higher education, workforce development, and the long-term future of Louisiana. From housing affordability and population loss to the question of whether public education should keep being outsourced, we argue that one or two school years isn’t enough to judge success. If charter schools were given decades, then rebuilding a strong, locally run public school system deserves real investment, patience, and courage.

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