Support for Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by every day.

I go to work for Entergy.

I know customers are counting on me.

So Entergy is investing millions of dollars to keep the lights on and installing new technology to prevent outages before they happen.

Together, together, together.

We power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Zigler Foundation and the Zigler Art Museum, located in Jennings City Hall.

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is an historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

With support from viewers like you.

In Louisiana, there's there's very different avenues to get a gun.

What are Louisiana's current gun laws?

The geography of the Gulf sort of creates this perfect place for hurricanes.

What a forecasting breakthrough could be for us.

We know that the proliferation of short term rentals across New Orleans has greatly exacerbated the housing crisis.

The Crescent City, working to lower the cost of housing.

Has been outside of self-healing.

A look back at a very special garden.

Hi, everyone.

I'm Kara St Cyr.

And I'm Andre Moreau.

Mass shootings seem to be reaching epidemic levels.

Two shot at a funeral in Racine, Wisconsin.

Four killed at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, just in the last 24 hours.

An 80 year old grandmother in New Orleans, Augustine Greenwood, was leaving the high school graduation of her grandson.

And Xavier never got out of the parking lot.

Caught in the crossfire of an argument when guns came out.

This amid the horror of evolving Texas and Buffalo, New York.

And on and on.

Those latest shootings mean there have been more than 230 mass shootings in the US in the 154 days of the calendar year.

The Gun Violence Archive database shows that every week this year, America has seen at least four mass shootings.

New York has tightened their gun laws, raising the age to buy semiautomatic weapons.

What are Louisiana lawmakers doing?

What about Washington?

The president had a primetime address last night saying this.

This isn't about taking away anyone's rights.

It's about protecting children, protecting families, small, protected whole communities.

It's about protecting our freedoms to go to school, to a grocery store, to a church without being shot and killed.

Besides shootings and soaring gas prices, we are already two days into the hurricane season.

Watching something happening in the Gulf.

Tropical storm warnings are up for the southern half of Florida.

Pacific Hurricane Agatha crossed Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and the remains of it are expected to become Tropical Storm Alex.

This has interests along the Gulf on edge.

Unfortunately, the forecast is for more storms than normal and for stronger storms.

Than normal.

I don't know what that means for us here in Louisiana because we've had five in the last two years and two of those were the strongest ever hit our state.

But what I do know is this, because we've had more than our fair share of the last two years, it doesn't mean we won't get more than our fair share again.

And we'll have much more on the data LSU has developed its brand new.

That is changing the hurricane forecast modeling for storms in the Gulf that would impact us.

That's coming up in about 20 minutes.

Right.

Now, we check on some other big headlines around our state.

The governor this week vetoed legislation that supporters say would open up loan opportunities for people needing credit.

The bill would have allowed payday loans up to 1500 dollars.

The governor says the bill unfortunately did not protect people from loan sharks.

College enrollment throughout Louisiana declined for a second year in a row.

Down 3.9% this year and 3.8% in 2021.

The state's numbers are below the national average, though, of 4.7% in decline in 2022 Scholar through a scholarship search tool, says COVID deepened the decline but that the trend had preceded the pandemic Another note from the state capital, this one about the Louisiana Outdoors Forever program.

Legislators agreed to authorize $10 million annually for the program that's aimed at the conservation of wildlife.

Louisiana is the only state in the Southeast without a dedicated conservation funding program.

This bill awaits the governor's signature.

Also, the governor will testify in a bipartisan hearing from legislators concerning the death of black motorist Ronald Green.

There's video he saw about the final moments of Green's life that has now come into question.

The stories of horrific mass shootings unraveling all over the country this year have made it down to the Louisiana legislature as they contemplate House Bill 37 which at one point sought to legalize carrying concealed guns without a permit.

But after the shootings in Oklahoma and New Orleans, some lawmakers are changing their tune.

Here's a quick overview of what Louisiana's gun laws currently are and how the bill has changed.

Questions about gun reform and mass shootings are looming after a massacre left 21 dead.

And you've already Texas just last week.

I will never.

Forget.

While families of the victim lay their loved ones to rest Louisiana's lawmakers are one of the many conservative states contemplating the public's access to guns.

Representative Danny McCormack's bill to nix the permit requirements to carry a concealed weapon were amended on Wednesday to instead allow teachers to carry guns in schools.

To provide context on Louisiana's already existing gun laws, I sat down with Angela Bradford, volunteer with Moms Demand Action.

Angel Bradford is a volunteer with Moms Demand Action, working toward gun reform.

Thank you so much for coming by and talking with us today.

Can we talk a little bit about the process of actually getting a gun in the state of Louisiana?

Yeah, so that's actually a very complicated question because in the state of Louisiana, there is no minimum age for possessing a rifle or a long gun.

And so that's, you know, kind of a separate conversation from whenever it's adults getting guns.

And so generally you can get guns in many different ways, either at a gun show or through a personal cell.

So I could, you know, sell you a gun or sometimes folks get it off line.

And so in Louisiana, there's there's very different avenues to get a gun, but you have to be at least 18 to possess a handgun.

So if I wanted to order a gun offline, there are no requirements.

I can just buy this.

So generally, no.

And you could say that, like, there may be some hopes that a lot of these sales would involve a background check.

But sometimes like what we call like the gun show loophole, for example, there's always background checks involved in personal sales or online sales or gun sales.

So does that mean there's no real record of how many people in the state of Louisiana actually have done?

I mean, there's some sort of estimate and like theoretically, you know, different companies that sell guns or local businesses keep a record of how many guns they're selling.

But then, of course, a lot of that is estimation.

If it's a lot of online purchases, as well.

But generally, all of that should be kept a record of and that's why concealed carry permits are so important, because if you want to conceal carry an actual handgun, you want that permitting process so that you make sure folks, as many folks as possible that are concealed carrying are getting a background check, because that's really the one required time that folks are are actually hitting that metric of getting a background check.

Is there estimate right now about how many people in Louisiana have guns?

I, I figure gun ownership is somewhere in the 40% range, but I don't know how much that translates to as far as hard numbers.

Thank you so much.

Angela again, Angela Bradford is a volunteer.

She works with Moms Demand Action.

Thank you so much for taking the time for having me.

The current status of House Bill 37 is uncertain as of Thursday.

Representative McCormack hasn't said whether he plans to change the bill's recent amendments back to the original language, which would allow permit laws carry similar legislation made it to the governor's desk last session, but it was vetoed.

It was also unsuccessful in the veto override session.

Lawmakers have until Monday to figure it out.

This week, LSU scientists released their final pre-season hurricane forecast using that new data specific to the Gulf of Mexico.

It's a first.

They believe the Gulf will see five named storms this season.

That they released their findings during a Zoom teleconference for media earlier this week.

And I talked with the two lead severe weather specialists about this and what's all new in 2022.

You know I was a kid gig growing up.

I had the paper hurricane tracking chart doing latitude and longitude.

I listened to the radio like I would not go to sleep for three days.

I was eight, nine, ten, 12, 14 years old doing this.

And I'm still like that now.

What was the biggest takeaway from this week's meeting?

The idea of having a Gulf of Mexico centric hurricane forecast.

We probably weren't the first people to think of that.

That's something that I think especially Gulf residents have maybe been wondering why there hasn't been one of these earlier.

As far as the actual forecast itself, the way that we developed that framework that was kind of something that we stumbled upon this use of the air temperature about 3.5 miles above our heads.

That's not a traditional hurricane forecasting parameter that other groups would use.

But when we kind of ran our analysis, that was what popped out as a meaningful environmental indicator here in the Gulf of Mexico.

I'm curious about that.

How did that come to be?

I mean, if you had not done that before, why did it pop out like that?

Well, it was.

It was a little bit by accident.

I actually do some some research on kind of drought prediction in Puerto Rico as well.

And there was a particular metric that we use for forecasting drought in the Caribbean that also seemed to capture really high values near hurricanes.

And so this kind of seemed like an intuitive kind of inroad to make a hurricane seasonal forecast.

It turned out that metric didn't really do a very good job, but you needed this air temperature, that 3.5 mile above our head, air temperature.

That was one of the inputs into it, into that equation.

So, Joe, what were the other factors that came together?

So you do have this new information.

In the Gulf of Mexico during Hurricane season.

Generally speaking, all signs point to hurricanes.

Right.

Because it's hot.

It's there's little wind shear.

It's typically a place where you can foster and harbor a lot of storms.

But because of that, it makes it a little difficult to actually identify a specific variable that helps to set it apart.

It's a unique variable that other places it would not be as is important.

But the geography of the Gulf sort of creates this perfect place for hurricanes.

But looking at this non-typical or atypical characteristic help to jump out for us in this particular model.

And so this is something that is not special to this season.

This is going to be for every season that you can do this forecasting, correct?

Yeah, absolutely.

And I think, you know, part of the paper itself was to help look at that, right?

To think about how does it relate to other seasons in the past and if it can do a good job in previous seasons, hopefully it can do a good job in future seasons.

We're making a big deal out of the loop current and how it looks similar to 25.

And so how that is a this year kind of thing.

It wouldn't be like that for a year though.

There is that warming spot always that compounds what you guys are saying five named storms and the gulf and like you said, well you know when a storm happens it typically doesn't like stay a depression.

It either ramps up to Camille or something just really bad and it's going to hit something.

Well, right that's just it.

So there's no exit route out of the Gulf of Mexico without striking land somewhere it has to hit something, even if it's going to pass in the narrow space between, you know, in the Florida Straits, you still don't have enough geographic space to the system is going to be larger to at least maybe not make landfall, but certainly impact with rain and possible surge and high winds.

The loop current might not be particularly close to the coast like it is this year.

But it's going to be hot.

It is the Oceanic.

Highway for.

The surplus of energy that exists at the equator and the Gulf Stream passes through there.

So it's going to be hot no matter what from the months of June through December.

Fascinated by the research that you guys have done just really is important to a lot of people.

Realize that yet enough.

But it's very important.

For called me last year because like he said, he's he does a variety of different atmospheric stuff and you and certainly you can speak to that.

Well he this model was really his brainchild.

Right.

And then he reaches out to me and he's like, can you look at all of this?

Can you make sure that I'm making sense?

Because it's not a typical variable that you would look at.

And I'm looking through everything.

I'm like, this is great.

This is exactly what we need.

Well done.

Right?

And so now here we are a year later.

And it's not just a kind of complete coincidence.

Like we're we're not necessarily scratching our heads.

There are some reasons why you could expect that variable to be perhaps in some settings, a more reliable indicator than other variables.

For instance, our models, we think, tend to do a better job with things like temperature than maybe with wind shear.

And so maybe by looking at a variable that might be somewhat primitive within the hurricane, seasonal forecast community, even though that that variables relatively basic, it might be model with more accuracy than some of the other parameters that often go into these forecasts.

So that's kind of know maybe one advantage that we brought to the table that seems to offer specific advantages in the Gulf.

LSU and Louisiana are so fortunate to have you both your team, of course, state climatologist, very kind, but really blessed, especially at this time in our history.

The storms themselves from our research suggests that they're reaching this point of maximum lifetime intensity so that the strongest the storm is going to get during its lifecycle and are rapidly beginning rapid intensification very close to the coast.

Guys, thank you so much.

Yeah, you're fantastic.

I appreciate your information.

And new information all the time.

Absolutely.

Sure thing.

Andre, thanks for having us.

The Crescent City is taking new strides to reduce inflated housing costs, starting with creating more restrictions on short term rentals.

Some feel that this could be a disaster for New Orleans tourist industry.

But Katrina Hill, the executive director of the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center, says the limitations will provide more access to affordable housing and balance the market for New Orleans natives.

Louisiana's housing market is changing following two years of the pandemic and ongoing inflation.

But in places like New Orleans, residents and some council members argue that short term rentals, like Airbnb's or Vershbow, are partly to blame.

Generally speaking, we.

Know that the proliferation of short term rentals across New Orleans has greatly exacerbated the housing crisis because Shana Hill is the executive director of the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center.

She says that there significant evidence showing how short term rentals can damage communities without the proper regulation.

In a study done by Jane's Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative, areas with Airbnb showed significant hikes in rent prices from 2016 to 2018.

For an example, a two bedroom in the Seventh Ward would see a 30% increase in rent in 2018.

The extensive number.

Of short term rentals across the city has really taken what would otherwise be available housing for New Orleanians off the market.

The city has taken notice in an effort to mitigate rising housing costs.

The City Council passed an ordinance banning short term rentals from being operated out of newly constructed four places the homes were intended to be affordable housing for low income residents, but neighboring communities worried that these homes become a part of the short term rental community.

Hill says the new ordinance is progress.

This hopefully will be a step in the right direction toward ensuring that housing units.

Are able to.

Come online for people who actually live here in the city.

The Four Plex ordinance is only the most recent measure.

The city council was passed to restrict short term rentals.

They were completely banned in the French Quarter and the Garden District the city also required that short term rental owners live on the property, but these limitations are drawing as much criticism as they are support.

Those in opposition argue that further restrictions will damage the tourist economy and personal income for some residents.

But Hill maintains that the future can't be determined by business endeavors.

It's a an exciting step.

Forward that the city has actually.

Put into place some kind of ordinance.

That is designed to address our affordable housing crisis.

So allowing these three and four plexus to be built in these neighborhoods is actually a positive step forward and will hopefully go a long way toward bringing.

New affordable.

Rental units online across the city.

According to printed reports, the city has signed a contract to track illegal short term rentals.

More accurately, the goal is to crack down on enforcing the new ordinances.

And now to a story where we can exhale.

The last time we visited Kathleen Puccio, a Baton Rouge, she was creating an oasis of vegetables and flowers at her home cove.

It was tightening its grip at the time, but she discovered something unexpected did.

And what she learned is now a brand new business that is ready to deliver a garden to you.

You have a beautiful garden and many gardens, I should say, many gardens and many children Kathleen and Trace Peugeot have raised seven children here in their stately but not remotely stuffy.

Two storey Baton Rouge home but only one is still here.

Aden Rose will be a high school senior.

The job with children may mostly be done, but the job of growing and tending the gardens isn't.

My question is, these are examples.

The things that you would plant for people or suggest them.

What does this mean?

Here?

That is Swiss chard, and it's a wonderful green.

It's really beautiful.

And a salad.

Or you can saute it, OK?

It's just it's awesome.

Then of course, we have some green onions and this and chives and bouquet dill, which looks like like fireworks.

I really like that.

There are a lot of herbs that's celery.

They're herbs mainly.

Well, there are herbs in all the beds, but especially in these beds and.

All these flowers along with the vegetables.

Yeah.

If I didn't want to do it unless I had flowers to.

More than a year ago, you may remember we first talked to Kathleen about what she was growing early on in the pandemic.

It all looked like something right out of the best.

Martha Stewart, though, what Kathleen presents may come to be her own trademark, the vegetables and flowers all together on that day.

Kathleen's mom and her daughter, Bonnie Kate joined us, and they're here today celebrating the launch of a new gardening business named this Time Gardens.

Kathleen is ready to share what she's learned or anyone who might want this and who wouldn't her mom loves it.

Did you ever see this happening?

No, I did not.

I did not see it happening the way it has I knew she always liked plants, but she used.

To complain about.

Me spending more money on my plants than I did on her genes.

So so it's kind of, you know, it's I like the way it's progressed that she is finally appreciating my love of the plants.

What I want to do is help other people.

I set up a raised bed, kitchen garden.

So what that is, is, well, it's good for several reasons.

It's literally dirt.

That's all that's raised and you want it 12 to 24 inches high.

And so the higher it is, the less you have to bend over.

That's a plus.

And then you you put in all good, really good dirt.

It's in a designated space, not in rows like the typical backyard garden.

This is different.

It's it's smaller, it's more manageable, and it's not that hard.

If someone can help you get going OK. That's where you come in.

That's where I come in and help someone have not that the back breaking or the the part that they're feel confused or overwhelmed, stressed out about.

The business plan.

Has Kathleen go into the house of a client to check things out?

Garden location alma son heads, then returns and lays the groundwork of what you'll grow.

Making for their own herbs.

They can grow your own salad greens and they can grow their own tomatoes and cucumbers and a million other things.

Well, it's interesting.

During the pandemic when you began this, I remember your mom saying, you know, she was always never.

I liked flowers.

Yeah, you liked flowers.

And you said that, too, right?

I wasn't about the vegetables.

Everywhere you look is beautiful.

So it makes it really easy to take incredible pictures when you have such an incredible canvas to be capturing.

COVID started this whole process where my daughter said and Kate said, don't, don't just do flowers, do a garden.

And so this was the time for me to do a garden.

Bonnie, Kate has been a driving force behind this idea, cheering her mom on and now working and promoting the business.

Set up a website that's beautiful or have beautiful Instagram pictures, because everything that you look at is so beautiful, even if it's just tiny little seedlings coming out for, you know, just the fresh greens and the richness of color.

And I love how mom always incorporates pretty flowers, too.

So it's it's beautiful everywhere you look as beautiful like, yes, it's beautiful.

But behind that is such a welcoming spirit of generosity, of hosting people.

And, you know, it's a place to bring people together and.

Yeah, it's, it's it's wonderful.

Yeah.

She's here.

Really wonderful.

You can feel her with her arms open.

Welcome Exactly.

Exactly.

I like tomatoes.

I like okra.

I like running out here and just eating okra in the garden.

So that's.

And then and then my sister makes the best pickled okra in the world.

So I've got some.

This knows why I'm laughing about okra.

Neither of us.

I hate okra.

I mean, people say anything that's that's that's spiky and prickly and slimy.

You eat that.

But I like it.

Too many gardening is about doing the work and finishing it.

Not Kathleen just being outside is so healing.

Picking your own, snipping your own rosemary for your potatoes or your bread.

This is really cool.

It's fun.

And there's something about getting outside the bookends of the day.

I think I work in my pajamas as much as anything else.

I come out early in the morning and just work in the garden, and it's I love it.

It's not just helpful for people to be able to pick their own tomatoes and be productive it's good on lots of level.

It's a natural place for you to be, it sounds like.

And it's a natural place for people to thrive.

And it's interesting.

Being outside is just good for you.

So if you want to know more about how to dream, build and harvest, you can contact Kathleen at this time.

Gardens dot com.

And she credits Nicole Burke of Houston, who has a similar very successful business for helping her along with her new business.

And everybody, that is our show for this week.

Remember, you can watch anything else any time, wherever you are with our live PBS app.

You can catch LPB News and Public Affairs shows, as well as other Louisiana programs you've come to enjoy over the years.

And please, like us on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.

Everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting, I'm Andre.

Moreau and I'm Kara St Cyr.

Until next.

Time.

That's the state we're in.

And support for Louisiana, the state we're in is provided by every day.

I go to work for Entergy.

I know customers are counting on me.

So Entergy is investing millions of dollars to keep the lights on and installing new technology to prevent outages before they happen.

Together, together, together.

We power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B, Zigler Foundation and the Zigler Art Museum, located in Jennings City Hall, the museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is an historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana, and the foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

With support from viewers like you.