Gulf States Newsroom

06/05/2026

On this week’s episode of the Gulf States Gumbo, we teamed up with ’s to take a look at how Jefferson Parish — the parish with the most opioid overdoses in Louisiana — is spending its opioid settlement money.⁠
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Jefferson Parish is receiving the largest share of money from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers, marketers and distributors. But their investigation found that, so far, the parish has spent little of the money. And some believe what it has been spent on may not be the best investment.⁠
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Click the link in bio to listen to the episode. ⁠
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📻 Get your weekly serving of stories from around Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi with the Gulf States Gumbo. Subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

06/03/2026

Louisiana voters! Did you have trouble with incorrect information on your ballot, missing items or primaries, or trouble as a No Party voter? The Gulf States Newsroom and want to hear from you. DM, email [email protected], or text (see final slide). We’re reporting on election discrepancies through this season and want to hear from you.

06/02/2026

Congratulations to for winning the regional Edward R. Murrow award for Excellence in Sound! Swipe to see ‘New Orleans musicians feel the heat of rising temperatures: ‘You can hear it in the music’’

05/27/2026

Americans love shrimp, eating more than 5 pounds per person every single year. Most domestic shrimp comes from the Gulf of Mexico, caught by family fishing operations that have worked those waters for generations. ⁠
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But Southern shrimpers are now facing a perfect storm: record fuel prices and a flood of cheap imported shrimp they can’t compete against. ⁠
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The Gulf States Newsroom’s went down to Port Sulphur in Louisiana to talk with shrimpers and find out more about the issues plaguing them. ⁠
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Click the link in bio for more. ⁠
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📝: | Gulf States Newsroom⁠
📷️: for the Gulf States Newsroom

05/23/2026

After the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map, state lawmakers moved quickly to redraw it. Alabama lawmakers are following suit — and Mississippi officials are close behind.

In response, groups across the region are organizing, holding rallies, and pushing back against efforts to eliminate Black congressional districts.

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins, Joseph King, and Elise Gregg have been following the movement across the region.

Groups across the Gulf South are organizing, holding rallies and pushing back against efforts to eliminate Black congressional districts.

05/18/2026

This weekend, voters, religious leaders, politicians and Civil Rights activists gathered in Alabama as part of the National Day of Action for Voting Rights — all in response to the weakening of the Voting Rights Act in the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais.⁠
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In Selma, Alabama, the pews of the Historical Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma were full on Saturday (May 16), the church reverberating with song and prayer, ahead of a march across the Edmond Pettus Bridge — the site of the first voting rights march in 1965. ⁠
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📹️: | Gulf States Newsroom

05/16/2026

The Gulf States Newsroom’s is in Selma, Alabama, today (May 16) where voters from across the country have gathered for the National Day of Action for Voting Rights. ⁠
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Worship and prayer services were held this morning at the Historical Tabernacle Baptist Church, followed by a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where in 1965, peaceful voting rights protesters were attacked by law enforcement. ⁠
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Afterward, many attendees are heading over to the state capitol in Montgomery, where further demonstrations are taking place.

05/14/2026

A week ago, community engagement producer and community engagement reporter took to the sidewalk at Fondren First Thursdays in Jackson, MS to hear directly from community members about their own communities within Mississippi, what’s not working and what fixing problems might look like, what they’d like to see the state invest in, what we should cover more in the region, and what might the media get wrong in telling Mississippi stories? The GSN team was blown away by thoughtful answers, including a strong emphasis on investment in education, youth, families and leadership. We’re excited to bring more of those stories to you— and please sound off in the comments with feedback about future coverage! Thanks to for your partnership in this work

05/11/2026

Environmental groups in Louisiana are suing Ascension Parish over the use of nondisclosure agreements. ⁠
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The groups say local officials signed NDAs with the state and with Hyundai over a steel mill project, and parish officials are refusing to turn them over.⁠
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🎥: | Gulf States Newsroom

05/04/2026

Jackson! Community engagement reporter is going to be at Fondren First Thursdays on 5/7 with , ready to hear your story pitches! Stop by their table at and share what’s on your mind and what you’d like to see the Gulf States Newsroom cover. We’d love to hear from you!