Support for Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us.

Because together we power life.

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

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana.

And the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana public Broadcasting and viewers like you.

Thank you.

Louisiana's congressional maps are headed back to court as a special session moves.

A Baton Rouge family hopes to turn loss and a hope by raising awareness of mental health struggles.

On the football field, can the Saints pick up their first win in week three of the NFL season?

We'll talk about it and we'll put you in a bayou state of mind with a tour through the LSU Museum of Art's newest exhibit.

Let's get started.

Hello, everyone.

I'm Karen LeBlanc.

And I'm Victor Hall.

Much more on those top stories in a moment.

On this week's edition of Louisiana, the state We're In.

But first, Louisiana's political maps are once again under the microscope.

The Supreme Court is set to take up the case known as Calais versus Louisiana, next month, and lawmakers are on standby for a special session to deal with the outcome.

Here's a look at the latest challenges to Louisiana's congressional map stretch back to the 1990s.

The state's six district plan has long been entangled in a legal tug of war between section two of the Voting Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Two cornerstones of U.S.

voting rights laws that operate in different ways.

Section two prohibits any voting practice that discriminates on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group.

It is frequently invoked in redistricting cases, particularly when minority voting strength is diluted.

The Equal Protection Clause, by contrast, is a constitutional guarantee requiring states to treat individuals equally under the law.

Setting limits on how race can be considered and drawing political maps.

Every time there is redistricting there.

There has traditionally been a lawsuit.

We've seen that dating all the way back until that, you know, since the 90s, when Louisiana attempted the legislature attempted to draw a majority minority district.

And after 6 or 8 years of litigation, two judgments by courts declaring it unconstitutional.

We went back to the five one map, that was pre-cleared twice by the Justice Department and then for the most part, re adopted by the legislature in 2021, after the 2020 census.

Louisiana redrew its U.S.

House congressional map.

Although black residents make up roughly one third of the state's population.

The 2022 plan included only one Majority-Black district out of the six civil rights groups, and black voters sued, arguing the map diluted black voting power in violation of section two of the Voting Rights Act, a federal district court and later the Fifth Circuit agreed the Map likely violated the law and ordered a remedy.

In response, Louisiana lawmakers passed Senate Bill 8 in 2024, creating a second majority black district by carving away parts of former Congressman Garret Graves territory.

The new district stretches from Shreveport to Baton Rouge, where Congressman Cleo Fields successfully campaigned and won the district six seat.

It's unfortunate that we're going through this at all.

A Republican led, controlled state legislature with a Republican governor past created and passed a map that created a second district.

The people have spoken.

The maps were created.

There was an election held.

There is a representative serving in in the seat.

I failed to realize or to understand why there would be any further discussion.

The latest legal challenge is a lawsuit known as Louisiana versus Calais.

It contends that the 2024 map is a racial gerrymander, meaning race was the predominant factor in drawing the district lines in ways that violate the Equal Protection Clause.

We have written a brief at this stage to address the question that the court raised about whether, it violates the 14th or 15th amendment to draw a racially gerrymandered map.

And, you know, the answer to that question has typically been yes.

We really should not be getting caught up on the actual law itself, but the rule of law.

And I think if you look at it from that perspective, then it becomes much clear to everybody that this just isn't right.

The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus is asking a state judge to force Attorney General Liz Merl to resume defending a congressional map that includes two majority minority districts.

We filed a writ of mandamus, which, ultimately would ask the attorney general to uphold her constitutional duty.

One either to defend the map, as she has done consistently throughout this process, or at least not challenge the constitutionality of the acts of the legislature, because the act that we passed or presumed constitutional until the court declares otherwise.

The US Supreme Court has ordered additional oral arguments scheduled for October 15th, 2025, until a final decision.

The current map remains in effect in anticipation of potential rulings from the Supreme Court.

Louisiana's legislature is considering holding a special session to reconvene redistricting discussions.

From hashtags to headlines, here's what's trending this week.

After 50 years in the classroom, a Jefferson Parish teacher is getting the chance of a lifetime.

Love does love.

What they're doing to celebrate Cynthia Thompson, known as Mama Te to her students.

Bonnabel High School started giving her gifts every Friday.

And get this.

This is way more than an apple.

Right.

Okay.

She's got 50 roses, basketballs covered in messages, and a saint Alvin Kamara jersey.

Not not only that.

Now she got two tickets to her first ever Saints game.

The Saints re posted about the story the video with it and promised to make her first trip to the dome even more.

Oh, those are some really generous students and creative with their gift giving.

Now this is going to be hard to beat, but the school has pledged to get to keep up the Friday surprises.

Forget this 50 weeks one for each year of her service.

It's like Christmas every day for her.

But just saying Karen had a birthday two weeks ago means tomorrow.

If you're in the mood to saying, I'll just say I'll take some Saints tickets.

Just saying.

Mine's a little higher than 50.

That's all I want.

I'll leave it at that.

Well, for the fifth year in a row, Louisiana will roll in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.

The theme of this year's float is Gulf to Gumbo, celebrating everyone from shrimpers to chefs who contribute to the state's famous dish.

Now, to ensure Louisiana steals the show, American Idol runner up and rising country music star John Foster will perform in the parade, and he's been headlining everywhere.

Yeah, to for runner up.

Not too bad.

It's a great opportunity.

Will represent Louisiana very well.

Well, a recent discovery on Louisiana's chandelier islands could spark new urgency to restore the barrier islands.

In recent years, the highly endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles have started nesting and hatching their young on the islands.

And this is a really big deal.

Yeah.

Over the years, the Chandler Islands have lost 90% of their land mass to both erosion and substance.

A $380 million project to help rebuild the island chain is in the works.

And so many reasons, not just for the turtles.

There's so many more reasons to hope that that gets done and it's making a difference.

So good to hear.

September is Suicide Prevention month.

It's a time to raise awareness and break the silence around mental health struggles in Baton Rouge, the Bellinger family is sharing their heartbreaking story of loss, hoping their son Matthew's memory will inspire others to seek help.

The walls and halls of the Ballenger home are lined with family photos, capturing vacations, holidays and cherished milestones.

At the heart of it all are mom, Alice and dad Gerald, proud parents of four children.

Their only son, blond haired Matthew, radiates charm with his infectious smile and his undeniable cuteness.

He was funny and smart, just loved to be a part of the crowd, be a part of the group.

Make everybody laugh.

He just loved, love to have fun and and the active.

In 2022, Matthew took his life after struggling with depression since high school.

He was 24 years old.

Matthew was a lifelong musician and member of the LSU band.

He played the saxophone.

Did Matthew speak openly about his mental health struggles with?

Oh yeah.

In fact, he told us that, he had talked to his therapist.

Just a few, I don't know, a month or so before he died.

And he said, I told him I was thinking about suicide and the guy just said, Okay.

Didn't seem to react properly.

The signs, are they obvious?

I mean did you see as parents where there's certain warning signs where you thought.

I'm worried.

Yes.

They were there.

We didn't know enough about them at the time to, to realize well that's a big sign and that's a big sign looking back we see all those signs of talking to friends and saying you know, I may not be here longer or giving away gifts or just, just really, you know, when somebody is really, really, really depressed or just not wanting to talk.

Somebody who Matthew was effervescent.

I mean, he he talked, he would, you know, talk to everybody.

He would break the room up.

He tell jokes.

And he was just very subdued for a major change in appearance.

The weekend before he passed, he he had scruffy beard for a while and, and longer hair.

And the week before he went to a mardi Gras ball, he had cleaned up, shaven, got hair, and he seemed to be doing better, and he seemed to be doing better.

He was very happy and our feeling, if we think he made that decision before the ball.

Just months after Matthew's death, the family took action establishing the Matthew Bellinger Memorial Fund, which hosts the annual Matt's Dinner during band camp and pays for a full time mental health counselor available to help students and all LSU Department of Bands and the College of Music and Dramatic Arts.

We talk about the need for mental health services, and good mental health needs to be a priority.

The more we talk about it, the less stigma there is.

The more openness there is, the more people will realize there's a need to provide these services as part of regular life.

It's shouldn't be a special thing.

The year Matthew died, 1988, the three digit dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline began operation.

So it's a national line and is a local service, and you are routed to your local contact centers in your own state.

That answer 988.

So here in Louisiana, we are fortunate enough to have two actually us at Via link and another nonprofit, La Fiji, and we both answer nine eight in Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Health contracts with two certified call centers in Louisiana to answer 988 calls from state residents, a chat feature is also available through the website.

Louisiana 988.org.

The service is free to all in need 988, though it is called the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, is truly there for whatever it is you're going through.

You're going to reach one of our specialist who has gone through over 200 hours of training.

If you're having thoughts of suicide, even if you're in a suicide crisis, if you're feeling panicked and overwhelmed, we're there to help you de-escalate and really get you to a point of figuring out what's going to work today so you can breathe that through whatever it is that you're going through.

Many survivors of suicide loss deal with grief, anger unanswered questions, and guilt over what they now question as missed warning signs.

There's a lot of very immediate what could I have done better?

What could I have done differently?

What could I have said?

Was there anything that I could have done to change it?

Once that decision has been made, there's nothing you can do.

And that is it's a really hard idea to come to terms with and to live with.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide ranks as the third leading cause of death among young people in Louisiana.

Most people are going to have thoughts of suicide, but thoughts of suicide do not have to equal suicide attempts.

If we actually talk about suicidal thoughts and suicidal ideation like that, that is a normally occurring thing for most people.

Like the way we would talk about anxiety.

That's how we can get people to come forward and just say, hey, I need to talk about this and then make those of us that want to help more capable of listening, leaning in and saying, I can hear this.

I can hold this space with you so that you don't have to hold these thoughts alone, keeping this type of pain to yourself.

That's really what gets people to this point of crisis, where they can't hold it anymore.

Michelle has a light saber tattoo on her brother Matthew's honor.

It's a reminder of the happy times when they played Lego Star Wars video games.

It's something that makes her smile through the pain of her loss.

What do you think we can all do better as a society to prevent suicide?

What can we do better?

Be there for each other.

Be kinder.

As someone who has struggled with suicidal thoughts, it is really hard to reach out to people.

It's okay to say that you're not okay, and I've gone through a lot of therapy to get to this point to say, sometimes I'm not okay, and sometimes that means I'm going to go take some time to myself and sit alone and process my thoughts.

And sometimes that means I need to go out and have some time with friends, have some time with my family.

Communicate to the people around you that do care, and make sure that you have a safety net around you that cares.

Let's turn to sports now, where the New Orleans Saints are on the road this weekend taking on the Seattle Seahawks, and they're hoping to snap their two game losing streak to start the season with a new head coach.

A lot of moving parts.

The Saints have a lot to rebuild.

Early this week, I talked to Saints reporter Sarah Paul Chesky to get her take.

Great to have Sarah Paul Chesky, who covers the Saints for NBC 33 and Fox 44, in Baton Rouge, is back with us to talk about the beginning of the 2025 season.

Sarah, it's great to see the Saints.

Oh, and two to start the season.

I don't think that's a surprise to many, but you've been with them since camp.

Evaluate.

Force what you've seen in the first two games from your team.

Look, looking at the Saints team going into the season, it wasn't going to be pretty.

We kind of figured this is how things would go, and they'd be similar to that Washington Commanders team from last year, where they were rebuilding but were competitive in a lot of those games and then a lot of those games, a lot of luck fell to Washington.

And that rookie quarterback, former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, last year.

So the Saints didn't have that luxury to have Jayden Daniels as their quarterback.

So they were going to need a lot of luck to be in these games.

But we knew they'd be competitive.

They're scrappy.

They have a lot of fight and that's something that is really preached to his team since training camp began.

He really wanted to preach that play style where they never gave up.

And that's something we're kind of seeing through the first two weeks.

They're not giving up, even though the defense has every right after that first week where they gave the offense the opportunity to get the ball back and tie that game, they had every opportunity to not do that again this past week against the 40 niners.

And they did it not once but twice.

There's no fight.

There's no stop fighting in this team.

And that's something Kellen Moore really likes.

And eventually that may lead to some of those luckier positions at end games where they can steal a win at the end just because of how they are playing.

Two things you said rebuild.

You said that word and Kelly more.

I think Saints fans understand even at the Saints aren't going to officially say it.

They are in a rebuild.

They have.

They've had to deal some salary issues and trying to change things around in the program.

But then there's the Kellen Morris.

We've seen him successful as a coordinator.

You've watched them all through camp and through the first two games.

What are your impressions of the style he wants to bring in New Orleans?

I really like the Kellen Moore era and it's something you can kind of feel.

It's a little bit different than we've seen, especially under Dennis Allen.

It's a lot more player based system where Kelly Moore was a former player in the NFL.

He understands the schedules, the time constraints, what everybody wants, something they all talked about during training camp was how efficient he was with their time.

He didn't want people to be out on the practice field longer than they had to, or being meetings longer than they had to.

That's why we saw a training camp when they were doing full 11 on 11 team drills or walkthroughs.

They had two fields going at once, so you had double the reps in the same amount of time.

And that's something we've seen.

And a lot of players feel like that's a good thing to have that he gets and understands them and he's built this culture.

He wanted to build this team bonding.

They did a lot of those activities in the offseason.

They went golfing, they did paintball, they did community service.

And that's something that we're kind of seeing.

This team is really close and I think that's important, especially when you're starting off.

Oh, and two and have a chance to maybe start.

Oh and for just having that team culture still there and be kind of still a positive light, everybody will look right away at the quarterback position.

As we know.

Spencer Rattler still looking for his first career win.

But I'm not sure he's the reason why they've lost these two games.

His numbers, the passing numbers haven't been way up there.

But no interceptions.

Still coming along.

Have you seen any growth from him from your observations?

Because you've been with the team for a while, from where you saw him last year to maybe the first two games of this year?

The growth is incredible from year one, two, year two.

And really seeing that, especially with his decision making, by not turning over the ball, just one turnover in two games and that was a fumble at the end of the game.

He didn't really have a chance to even get that ball off.

The defender came pretty much clean unblocked right at him.

So you can't knock him too much for that.

But no interceptions.

He's making good decisions and we talked to him on Wednesday and just listening to his process of understanding when to take those risks, when to take those three point shots.

He referred everything back to basketball.

Like those deep balls are the three point shots when to take those and when to take the easy lay out layups and dump offs like we're seeing him check the ball down a lot more, Alvin Kamara and a lot of his playmakers because his coaching staff Doug Meyer, Scott Tolzien, Kellen Moore have told him just it might be a 1 or 2 yard pass, but those guys have the playmaking ability to turn it into an eight yard gain.

So that's something he's kind of seeing and we're seeing that in his growth and it's certainly the turnovers and interceptions they're going to come.

This is the NFL at some point he's going to throw one.

But right now that decision making is some of the best.

And if you compare him to other year two quarterbacks in the league rating wise he's better than Bo Nix, Caleb Williams and J.J.

McCarthy, all guys that were taking much higher than him in that draft.

Yeah, Saints fans and oftentimes said, look, there's a way to get a 25 yard pass.

You can throw it 20 and run five or throw at five and run 20 to your point, dump it off to some of that talent.

Alvin Kamara rushing wise, a very slow start for Kamara.

He has been a short end receiver as you mentioned to him.

Is it just time.

We know a Kamara can do other things that Saints fans might be wondering is going on.

That maybe you know that they don't.

Or is it just been a slow start for Kamara I don't believe it is a slow start for Kamara.

He looks really good running the ball.

He had a 100 yard game to begin the season.

He's doing well.

I think that the Saints are struggling to get those explosive runs just especially on the inside.

And if you look at the interior of the Saints offensive line they're banged up.

They're playing a backup with Trevor penning out and Dylan Reagan's out in left guard.

You got Cesar Ruiz, who's kind of struggled recently to begin the year at right guard as well.

So you're not getting that inside blocking as much as you need to to get those explosive plays.

But Kamara has been very steady very consistent.

Take that fumble out.

That was very uncommon.

Yes very rare.

And it was also a weird play.

Was it a catch.

Was it not a catch.

But he's doing very well and I think this system is doing a great job of utilizing him and getting those reps in and making sure they're running the ball.

That was something they really struggled with in week one.

They had to go to the passing game a lot more and play that way to play catch up.

So I think the ideal situation for Collymore's offense is to build that game off.

Alvin Kamara and the run game and not get in too many passing situations where they have to rely on that and limit those reps to Kamara and Kendrick Miller.

See and that's why you're an insider.

And I'm not because you know he's not struggling.

Maybe as people might think.

Next up for the Saints are up in the great northwest taking on the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday.

It's always great to visit with you.

Great job on your work.

We look forward to talking to you again.

Thanks.

Great to be here.

You can catch Sarah Paul Chesky, Fox 44 and NBC 33, in Baton Rouge, covering your New Orleans Saints.

The LSU Museum of Art is inviting visitors to experience a bayou state of mind.

The exhibit showcases more than 100 works from 33 artists, exploring themes of memory, place, and identity.

For the first time, the complete collection of artist George Rodriguez Bayou Surrealism paintings is on public view.

Rodriguez Cajun ghost story illustrations debuted his iconic Blue Dog, later a global commercial success.

I'm taking you on a tour.

The LSU Museum of Art invites you to enter a bayou state of mind, expressed through artworks that delve into the psyche of memories, connections, and emotions tied to Louisiana's culture and landscapes.

It's really about capturing the spirit visually, and we have about 33 artists in the exhibition and well over 100 works.

It's really a bayou state of mind is something personal, and so everybody's going to react differently to it.

The works on exhibit speak to three themes the urban experience, rural memory, and water.

This is Newport by Shirley Rabie, master passenger is a New Orleans artist.

She was a lifelong residents of New Orleans.

She has since passed.

Unfortunately, but she was very inspired by her city.

It's an older building and has vandalism and has these weeds growing out of the concrete, and the billboard is peeling off, but she's able to take these subject matter and really put it together into something that's a quite lovely composition.

A Bayou State of Mind presents 120 objects from photography to printmaking and sculpture.

This piece is part of our rural memory, part of the show, and it's by Ron Bouchet.

Ron Bouchet lives and works in New Orleans.

He's a professor at Xavier.

And so as you can see, we have palm turned back with branches in marsh grass, and it's all coming together.

I miss this chaotic mess, but it creates this beautiful patterning that he's really exploring his connections with the land, his his cultural heritage and his background with the land itself.

Woodblocks carved by John Scott, a celebrated New Orleans artist and longtime professor at Xavier University of Louisiana, hang alongside their corresponding prints, all on loan from the Heloise Foundation John Scott Center.

It was created before Katrina and what's fascinating is John Scott almost had a premonition of what was to come.

When you look at it, we see, of course, a house right down here.

There's a porch, but there's all this debris that's been piled up on top of it and sort of destroying this, this, this area of the town.

And so again, it's it's a really dramatic print.

And how he was able to prophesize this storm that was going to come down.

And of course, the storm that would impact his life greatly because he was displaced with Katrina.

After it did roll through, he had to leave his beloved city, and he never returned.

The exhibit also debuts The Complete Bayou Collection by artist George Rodrigue, featuring Bayou surrealism paintings that originated from illustrations.

It's a 40 piece painting set that was done by George between 1981 and 1984, for the New Orleans World's Fair.

And so he partnered with a gentleman named Chris Sugar, who is an author who wrote a book of Cajun ghost stories.

And George created a painting that illustrated each story.

The New Iberia native began his career painting Cajun landscapes and luminous figures beneath the sleeping branches of oak trees that framed each canvas.

His haunting illustrations for the Cajun Ghost story book marked the debut of Rodriguez iconic Blue Dog, which became a surprise commercial success.

We're lucky to have this piece right here.

It's called watchdog.

This is actually the very first time that George painted a Blue Dog, and the character right here, who's supposed to present a little guru, a Cajun werewolf who is supposed to be this fearsome creature.

But instead she came out on the painting as just sort of like a really amiable, a really friendly little curious little dog.

The Complete Bayou Collection is made possible by the Rodriguez Foundation in New Orleans, working with a private collector who acquired Rodriguez 40 Bayou Surrealism paintings.

The long term loan is set to tour museums nationwide beginning in 2026.

That's our show for this week.

Remember, you can watch anything LPB, any time, wherever you are with our LPB 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 take a moment and like us on Facebook, on zoom, and on Instagram for everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

I'm Karen LeBlanc.

And I'm Victor Howell.

Until next time.

That's the state we're in.

Support for Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us.

Because together, we power life.

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

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana and by Mary Bird Perkins, cancer Center.

Visit Baton Rouge and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and viewers like you.

Thank you.