Tegan Wendland

Hurricane season starts June 1st. In their annual outlook released today, forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predict that the Atlantic Ocean will see "above average" hurricane activity this hurricane season, which runs through November 30th.

The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office is under fire for pressuring crime witnesses to talk. An investigation by The Lens found that the office sent out fake subpoenas telling people to come in and talk to prosecutors.

The city’s criminal justice system is already taxed - with a high crime rate and an overcrowded jail – and critics say this latest problem is evidence that the DA’s office is using overly aggressive tactics to get victims to cooperate.

WWNO’s Tegan Wendland talked with Lens reporter, Charles Maldonado, about his investigation.

In coming years, rising seas and sinking land will force many to move away from the coast. Some communities are already doing so. New research from the Center for Progressive Reform, a Washington-based nonprofit, looks at how 17 communities - from Alaska to South Dakota - are pulling it off.

WWNO’s Tegan Wendland talked with study-author, Loyola University law professor, Rob Verchick.

Support for the Coastal Desk comes from the Walton Family Foundation, the Coypu Foundation, the Greater New Orleans Foundation, and local listeners.

Rising seas and sinking land are forcing many along Louisiana’s coast to make hard decisions. Stay put, or move inland to safety. But it’s not just a problem here, coastal residents across the nation are facing the same challenges.

A study recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change predicts that millions will move inland in coming years.

WWNO's Tegan Wendland talked with Matt Hauer, a demographer at the University of Georgia, about how this will change life in coastal areas - and create new challenges for the communities where those people will move. 

City parks are good for water runoff. Open green areas soak up rain and trees wick it down into the water table. So in a wet city like New Orleans, City Park is an important asset.

WWNO’s Tegan Wendland sat down with CEO Bob Becker to learn about how water management was considered in the park’s new golf course. The park is independent - it doesn’t get money from the city - and Becker says they needed the $26 million course to cover a quarter of the park’s budget.

In coming days, President Donald Trump is set to make an executive order to reverse much of President Obama’s climate change policy. The details are still unclear. But here in Louisiana, state officials and environmentalists are already grappling with the new administration’s actions on the environment – like proposed cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency.

WWNO’s Tegan Wendland talked with Steve Cochran, of the Environmental Defense Fund, about the implications for the state.

As extreme weather brings more natural disasters, like flooding and wildfires, more Americans are experiencing them in their own backyard or seeing them play out on TV. As a result, preparing for disasters might be more mainstream than in the past. National Geographic’s Doomsday Preppers show is hugely popular. Families used to build bomb shelters; now people are packing emergency bags for the next big weather event. It’s become big business.

Mardi Gras means a lot of different things for a lot of different people. Some devote hours to costume making, while neighbors get together at house parties along the parade route.

But for many families it’s grueling. High school band members and dancers spend all year practicing, and then spend hours on the streets as they march in the parades. WWNO All Things Considered Host, Janae Pierre, is part of such a family. She sent this report, produced by WWNO’s Tegan Wendland, from the Krewe of Nyx parade.